


UnCONVENTIONal

by voodoo_child



Series: Pros and CONs [2]
Category: Supernatural, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Awkward Romance, Coping, Dick Jokes, Disney movie quotes are appropriate in every situation, F/M, Good Morning Starshine, Legos, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Sexual Assault, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Relapsing, Safewords, Sobriety, Triggers, both the magic hat and the mustache make a reappearance, lightsaber fights in Party City, overactive imaginations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 00:45:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1838173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voodoo_child/pseuds/voodoo_child
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A follow up to Pros and CONs (you're going to want to read that one first).  This is what happens at the next year's Supernatural Convention in Vegas. (set slightly further into the future)</p><p>Or</p><p>The one where Richard Speight Jr. gets all gliddy-gloopy, Kim Rhodes is still the most fantastic human being on the planet (with Genevieve Padalecki and Danneel Ackles as close seconds), Mark-fucking-Sheppard apparently went to medical school, everyone still has a potty mouth (again, the reason for the rating), Ty Olsson gets a bit of redemption, and Osric Chau believes he actually is Han Solo.</p><p> </p><p>And yeah, Jared Padalecki was sooo right about the hugs thing (even if he did totally fuck up the magic hat).</p>
            </blockquote>





	UnCONVENTIONal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VaWest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VaWest/gifts).



> So, I didn't bother waiting to see if anyone actually wanted the sequel before posting it--obviously.
> 
> Whatever.
> 
> Once again, this is dedicated to V, who I love dearly. 
> 
> Once again, I have no idea how rooms are set up for the entertainers at cons, and it is still painfully obvious that I am without this knowledge. (If anyone would care to enlighten me, I'd be more than happy to fix it.)
> 
> This one wasn't so much inspired by a low she hit, but rather, when she had her gallbladder removed. Seriously, the pants conversation--totally happened, as well as the fun nurse who slipped so that she ended up with blood all over her elbow.
> 
> I tried really hard to redeem Ty. My own thoughts on real life events aside, I hope I made his attempt at a comeback realistic. Sobriety really is not an easy road--for everyone involved.
> 
> And I know...I _know_ the romantic interactions between Richard and Emily are awkward as all get out--even uncomfortable at times, but what can you really expect when one-half of that equation still struggles with hugs from most people? I tried to stay true to the PTSD--even though she's learning to deal with it, and she wants so badly to be "normal" and have a relationship, she still has highs and lows. It doesn't go away overnight--it really is something that the person suffering with it will have to manage their entire life because those memories don't just vanish. They have to find ways to cope (humor and sarcasm can often be a go-to for anyone in an uncomfortable situation and a person with PTSD is no exception, even if it may come across as callous and uncaring). And though a person may seem better, something they weren't prepared for may still trigger them. While medication can help, it doesn't solve the problem. Having a supportive network of friends is one of the best methods of healing, even if their gestures don't seem like much to them, can mean the world to someone who feels trapped and alone in their own thoughts and emotions.  
>  I may have made Richard a bit (what some people may consider) soft, however, it is my hope that everyone with PTSD finds someone (either romantically or just in friendship) who cares about them and loves them enough to learn about what the person with PTSD is going through and learn about what they can do to help.
> 
> Also, PTSD does not mean that a person can't find another person attractive. It does not mean that they absolutely will refuse to dress to impress--if someone else finds you attractive, that can't mean you're too broken, right? It does not mean that they can't want a physical relationship with someone else. It can just mean that they may try too hard to have a "normal" relationship and end up setting themselves back when they realize they aren't ready for it. PTSD can make a person very hard on themselves--it can make them feel weak and incomplete and insufficient at whatever they're doing.
> 
> Another also, I added a relationship between Jennifer and Osric--why? Because he's fucking adorable, that's why. And I would totally love to have a lightsaber fight in the middle of any store with him--or with anyone, really. I'm a geek--it's what we live for.
> 
> And still another also, I'm toying with the idea of making this a trilogy, but no ideas have come to me at the moment.

.

..

...

“I swear to Chuck, I will end you if you look at your goddamned cell phone one more time while you’re driving.”

“We still don’t have signal.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”  Jennifer snapped, yanking the phone from her sister’s grasp.  “We’re in the middle of the goddamned desert.  Of course there’s no fucking signal.”

“Will you let me know when we get signal?”

“Christ, woman, you are so in love with him it’s making me want to vomit.”

“I’m not in love with him...I haven’t seen him in a year.  I just...miss him.”

“You knew him for four fucking days, Em.  Don’t you think this is a little obsessive?”

“We’ve talked.”

“Text messaging does not count as dating.”

“I’m not dating him, shit for brains.  He’s my friend.  I’m allowed to be excited over seeing a friend.  A friend, I might add, who got you that autographed ‘Dr. Who’ poster for Christmas.”

“I didn’t want the poster, I wanted David Tennant.”  Jennifer grumbled.

“He wouldn’t fit in the box.”

“Do you know what you’re getting yourself into with this guy?  I mean, I’m asking because I love you and I don’t want to see you get hurt.  He’s older than you.  He’s been married.  He has kids.”

“So did Mom when she met Bob.”

“I get that.  I get that sometimes shit works out like it should.  But what if it doesn’t?  Am I gonna have to be the one to glue you back together again if all this falls apart?  Cause I have to tell you, it kills me to see you broken.”

“I’m not expecting anything from this.  He hasn’t hinted in the slightest that he still thinks there might be something between us since last year.  I’m not really even sure how I feel about him.”  Emily paused.  “I mean, I’m terrified I’m going to see him and I’m going to have a flashback and it’s all going to go bust before he even gets to say hello.  You know?”

“I know, Em.”  Jennifer nudged her sister’s shoulder.  “If it’s any consolation, I really hope things do work out for the two of you.”

“Thanks.”  Out of the corner of her eye, Emily saw her sister began to fiddle with her phone.  “Are you seriously going to go through my texts with him?”

“Of course.  Got to make sure he’s on the up-and-up.”

“You suck.”

“Be nice to me or I won’t read you the text he just sent you.”

“You’re lying.”

“Really?  It reads ‘My dearest Emily...’”

“I fucking hate you, sometimes.”

“Yeah, yeah, love you too, sis.”

 

“Just so you know, you don’t get to say shit to me about texting Rich.”  Jennifer snapped awake at the sound of her sister’s voice.

“What--what?  Fucking hell, have you been reading my text messages while you’re fucking driving?”  Jennifer snatched her phone out of Emily’s hand.  “And I thought you-driving was terrifying before.”

“Stop changing the subject.  You’ve been keeping everyone else from the con up to date on my well-being.”  

From what she’d read in the texts, apparently, the whole thing snowballed.  It had started with Kim asking about Emily.  When Jennifer had sent her a frantic message, suddenly there were three other people--Jared, Jensen, and Rich--joining the conversation, demanding to be kept in the loop about how she was doing.  Somewhere along the line, Felicia joined in the group message and Rob and Misha had come in not long after.  Sure, they’d all sent her messages, but none of them, aside from Richard’s, had been as serious or so completely focused on her as the group message they had going with her sister.  It was weird.

“They asked.  I knew you wouldn’t tell them yourself, so I filled them in.  They care about you.”

“Did you really have to tell them I relapsed, again?”

“Em, it had been two weeks since we’d left and I honest-to-god thought you were on the verge of suicide.”

“That would explain why Rich kept me up half the night for a week with constant texts.”  Emily surmised.  She didn’t need to see the timestamps to know that he’d done that around the time her sister was talking about.

“Yeah.  He was just as scared as I was for you.”  Jennifer sighed.  “Look, I know it’s hard for you to accept, but every single person you met last year, they care about you.  They worry about you.  And as much shit as I give you over your relationship-friendship-whatever with Rich, I know he cares about you, too.”  Jennifer admitted.  “I don’t know if this means anything to you, but they were a huge support for me, knowing I had people to worry with me about you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“That I couldn’t be the big sister you need me to be.”

“You stop that, right now, Em.  You are the big sister I want and need.  You always have been and you always will be.  Don’t you ever fucking doubt it.”

“OK.”

“Damned right, OK.”  Jennifer huffed.  “For fuck’s sake.  When we get to the next town, you’re going to need to stop at a McDonalds or something.  I need some fucking ice cream.  And maybe some Midol.  I am not showing up where all those hot people are going to be, looking like I’ve spent the entire drive bawling my eyes out.”  Finally, Emily smiled.

 

“God, it feels good to get the fuck out of that car.”  Jennifer flopped back onto one of the queen sized mattresses.

“Hey, I drove most of the way, you shut your mouth.”  Emily sighed as she curled up around the pillows on the other bed.

“You gonna let him know we’re here?”

“I sent him a message letting him know we were in town when we first hit the city limits.  That was an hour ago.  He hasn’t responded, so, no biggie.  I’m just going to take a nap.”  She yawned, taking her phone from her pocket and setting it down on the bed next to her.

“You wanna call him?”

“Not really.  I wanna sleep.  You wanna call him?”

“Jesus Christ.”  Jennifer jumped off the bed.  “Drag your sorry ass up and call him.  He sent me a message about ten minutes ago that you needed to head towards the conference area.  He wants to surprise you because he’s here a day early, just like we are.  And I am not about to call him and tell him you passed out before you saw him.”  She threw one of the pillows from her bed at her sister.  “If you’re too damned tired to see him first, you can tell him yourself.”

“Alright, alright.”  Emily yawned and sat up.  “Geez, you’re fucking bossy.”

“Damned straight.  Now either get dialing, or get moving.”

“So, hi.”  Shit, he felt lame.  He could see how tired she was, and of course, he’d be the idiot that would drag her and her sister down to where he was instead of offering to meet them somewhere they didn’t have to make a ten minute walk to get to.

“Seriously, if that’s all you’re going to say, I’m going to murder you.”  She smiled sleepily up at him before wrapping herself around him.  “Good to see you again.” She mumbled into his shirt.

“Same, beautiful.”  He kissed the top of her head once he wrapped his own arms around her.  “Forgot how much I missed hugging you.”

“You’ve only hugged me twice.  Well, three times, now.  Not exactly a lot to go on.”  She pulled away just far enough to be able to look at him.

“I swear, if the next words out of your mouth are that it’s enough, I will vomit.”

“Shut up, Jennifer.”

“Oh, hey, Jen, forgot to tell you--Mark’s here.”

“Mark-fucking-Sheppard?”  Fuck, he certainly hadn’t planned for Emily’s eyes to light up as well.

“Uh--yeah.”

“You can talk to him later.”  Jennifer patted her sister’s arm as she passed by the hug-fest.  “You get your hug on.  I’ll go find Mark and harass him enough for both of us.”  She headed further into the con-area.  “Call me if you need me.”

“I swear, I really do love my sister.”  Emily tucked her head back against Richard’s chest.  “How are you?”

“Glad--now that I know you got here in one piece.  Jennifer said you drive like you’re possessed.”

“You should see her drive.  That ‘oh shit’ bar in the car gets quite a workout when I’m riding shotgun.”

“But you’re OK?”

“It’s getting better all the time.”  She paused and leaned away from him again. “You know, this is probably the longest hug I’ve ever had where I wasn’t bawling my eyes out.”

“Good.”  He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.  “How’s therapy?”

“Slower going than I’d like, but Lauren says I need to be patient with myself.  Last year on top of nine years of bottling shit up can’t be undone in just a few months.”  Emily sighed.  “And I know you know about last April.  I got a hold of Jen’s phone on the way up here.  I’m sorry I worried you like that.”

“I’m not going to say it’s OK, because, I gotta admit, it really wasn’t.  Fuck, woman, you had me so goddamned worried.  When your sister messaged me and told me that you said you were just done...”  She could feel him tense in her embrace, so she back up and out of his hold.

“I had only meant that I was done trying to fix this on my own.  I started back to therapy that next week.”

“I know that.  And I know that you never meant to worry us the way you did.  But sweetheart...you gotta word your shit better.”

“I know.”  She looked down at the ground.  “I’m sorry.”

“Just,” he hesitated just a moment before he took her hands in his, “don’t do that to me again.  I can’t...I can’t go through that again--not when I’m too goddamned far away to do anything to help you.  Please?”

“OK.”  She looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears.

“Hug?”  She nodded and he pulled her against him once more.

“She absolutely loved ‘To Appomattox’ didn’t you, Em?”  Jennifer grinned, seeing the blush on her sister’s face.

“You told me you never watched it.”

“No--no...I told you that I couldn’t remember if I’d seen it.  You asked me when I had 150 finals to grade.  Not the best time to ask me anything.”

“150?  Christ, love, when do you sleep?”  Mark twirled the noodles from his to-go cup around his fork.

“During finals week?  I don’t.”  Emily looked into her half-full container of teriyaki chicken and sighed.  “Fuck, I can’t eat any more, but I know I’ll be hungry again in like an hour.”  She stuck her chopsticks into the container and set it on the table in front of her.  Then she laid down on the carpeted floor, resting her head on her folded arms.

“That’s why God created mini fridges in hotel rooms.”  Richard teased, getting up from the couch and setting his own, empty container on the table next to hers.  “Come on, sleepyhead.  You’ve got a room to get back to.”  He tousled her hair.

“Have I told you lately that I hate you.”  She groused, sitting back up and swatting at his hand.

“Not in the last ten minutes or so.”  He moved quickly enough that she missed him completely.

“Hold still so I can hit you properly.”

“Fuck, it’s like watching an old married couple argue.”  Jennifer complained.

“Sickening, right?”  Mark agreed.

“Shuddup.”  Both Emily and Richard told them together.

“You ready to get to bed?”  Emily nodded at her sister.  “It’s amazing how terrible driving can just take the wind out of your sails.”

“Fuck you, I am a good driver.”  She pushed herself up, using the table for leverage.  “Fuck.”  She immediately put pressure on her right side with her hands, just under her ribcage.

“Again?”

“Wait--again?  What do you mean, again?”  Gone was his playful tone and in it’s place was concern, with slight undertones of panic.  Richard’s gaze darted back and forth between the two sisters.

“Just muscle cramps.  I fucked up something here,” she gestured to the spot her hands were pressing in at, “a few days ago, and now, every so often, it hurts.”

“And of course, like the ass that she is, she’s too fucking stubborn to get it checked out by a doctor.”  Jennifer retorted.

“And have him tell me, what?  That I’m too fucking old to try and coach sixth graders in basketball?  It comes and goes.  This will pass.”

“Yeah, and in an hour, you’ll be doubled over again.”

“Does it hurt worse after you eat?”  Mark asked, concern in his voice.

“Yeah.”  Emily answered through gritted teeth.

“Love, I don’t want to scare you, and I pray I’m wrong, but what you’re pressing on is your gallbladder.”  Mark continued.  “Right nasty things, those are.  And if that’s what’s causing your pain, you’re going to want to have it checked out, and quick.  They’re a lot like your appendix, in that, if it bursts, it could kill you.”

“So, I’ll get my keys, if someone would kindly use their phone to find the nearest hospital?”  Richard chimed in.

 

“Well, good news.”  The way too cheerful nurse burst back into the holding cell--or exam room--they’d stuck Emily in.  “Doctor Jones has just okayed the morphine and is clearing his schedule for your surgery.”

“Hold the phone, crazy lady--you can tell Indiana I want out of here.”  Jennifer snorted in laughter.  “Shut up, Jennifer, I’m serious.”

“Can you tell us what’s wrong?”  Richard ignored both Emily and Jennifer and turned to the nurse.

“Her gallbladder has become toxic.  It’s going to need to come out, now.”

“Hey, talk to me.  I know I’m laying here in nothing but a fucking gown, but talk to me about me, not to him about me.”

“Em, ease up.”  Jennifer, laughter under control, interjected.

“No.  This happens every goddamned time I go to a doctor and I’m sick of it.  I know I look like I’m twelve, but that paperwork you have in your hot little hand clearly states that I’m well over the legal age of consent.  So treat me like it.”

“Alright.  I understand that you’re uncomfortable being here.  There’s not many patients we get who want to be in the ER.  However, based on the ultrasound, your gallbladder is toxic.  It needs to come out.  It is right on the verge of bursting.  And I don’t know how familiar you are with the gallbladder, but if it bursts and it’s not treated immediately, you could die.  Now, are you ready for morphine?”  Emily nodded.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.  I’m the one who shouldn’t have shared your prognosis with someone other than directly with you.  I totally understand your frustration.”  The nurse began to search through the room’s cabinets.  “I’m going to need to draw some blood, and then I’ll get you set up with an IV.  Sound good?”

“Yep.”

“OK,” she turned around with a rather large needle and several vials.  “I need you to make a fist.”  Emily did and the nurse tied the tourniquet band around her upper arm.  “OK, good.”

“Jen, this is when you’re gonna want to look at the wall or something.”  Emily looked over to see that her sister was already facing away from her.  “And you worked in a vet’s office.”

“Shut up.”  Jennifer growled.

“You’re not squicked out by blood?”  Emily saw that Richard’s gaze hadn’t left her.

“Nah.”  He smiled.

“Oh, shit.”  The nurse swore just loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear.

“And the winner of ‘what you never want to hear from the medical personnel working on you’ goes to...”  Emily cringed, feeling a tug on her arm.  “Everything ok?”

“No, yeah, everything’s fine.  I just pulled the vial off too soon.”  Emily looked over to see the entirety of her elbow covered in blood.  “That was the last one, though, so I’ll just get you cleaned up and then get that IV going.”

“Now, I’m regretting not updating my life-insurance policy.”  Emily tried to grin.  “Kidding.  Just--morphine anytime now, would be awesome.”  The nurse smiled and finished hooking her up to the IV.

“Give it just a second, and you’ll feel--”

“Fuck,”  Emily’s head lulled back against the gurney.  “Thanks.”

“No problem.”  The nurse disappeared into the hall.

“Seriously, I feel like I’m going to fucking die.”  Emily turned to look at her sister and Richard.  “Who the fuck messes up drawing blood?”

“You’re not going to die.  Don’t joke like that.”

“OK, I’m not going to die.  But really--who the fuck messes up drawing blood?”  

“Other than the blood thing, you feel OK?”

“Peachy.”  Emily slapped her non-IVed hand against her forehead.  “I really fucking just ‘Short Round’ her, didn’t I?”  This time, both Jennifer and Richard laughed.

 

“And now, a photo for posterity.”

“I know where you sleep, little girl.”  Emily growled at her sister.  Still, Jennifer worked to pull up the camera on her phone.

“Say cheese.”

“I hope you drown in it.”  Emily flipped off the camera.

“And now everyone is going to get a photo update on you.”

“Rich, be a dear, and beat her to death with her own phone.”

“But I like this photo.  It showcases the real you.”  He looked down at the message he’d just received from Jennifer.

“It’s official.  You both fucking suck.”

“You ready?”  The doctor finally came back to where they’d been left to wait in pre-op.

“Get me the hell away from both of them before I jam their phones down their throats.”

 

“Hey, sleepyhead.  How do you feel?”

“Want my pants.”

“That’s gotta be one of the weirdest things anyone has ever said after coming out of surgery, Em.”

“Fuck you, I want my pants.”  She tugged on the blanket covering her.  “Ready to blow this popsicle stand.”

“Actually, dear,”  Another nurse, this time, an older, male nurse, interrupted.  “We’re going to keep you here overnight.  You had quite the infection.  Doctor says he wants to keep you here on antibiotics to make sure everything is cleared up.”

“But--but--the con...”  That was the whole purpose of even being in this fucked up town.  Well, Richard, and then that, but still.  “Rich--”

“I’ve gotta go do some prep work, sweetheart, but I’ll be back in the morning, OK?”  He brushed the hair from her forehead.

“OK.”  She nodded sleepily, the effects of the drugs pulling her back under.  “Love you.”  She snuggled into the pillow, completely unaware that she’d just freaked him out.

“Did she--what did you hear?”

“Dude...I guarantee she won’t remember she said that in an hour.  She’s half out of her mind on the drugs they’ve been pumping in her.  Feel free to forget that if that’s not where this whole you-and-her thing is headed.”  Jennifer tried to smooth everything over.

“I don’t--I don’t know if that’s where it’s headed.”

“OK, then think of it this way--if that _is_ where this winds up, she’s gonna be so pissed at herself for not remembering she said it first, she may not even believe you when you tell her--but I’ll be a witness and I can totally give her grief about it forever.”  Richard shook his head, smiling at the strange bond these two women had.  “Seriously though, if you realize that’s not where you want this to go--do me a favor?  Rip it off like a bandaid.  It’ll be easier if you break her once and get it over with.”  

He had nothing to say.

*****End Wednesday*****

“Pants now?”  Shit, this is exactly where she’d left off when she’d passed out the night before.  Well, not exactly...but he didn’t want to think about it...yet.

“Yeah, yeah...I’d say, keep your pants on, but ha!  They’re still in your bag.”

“Fuck you.”

“Nice to see you two getting along so well.”  Richard announced his presence, eliciting a grin from both women, both of them very tired looking.

“Shit, man, you look like hell.”  Not surprisingly, he’d gotten very little sleep, constantly worried he’d miss a call about Emily’s status.

“And a good morning to you, too, Jen.”

“Tell that psycho bitch to give me my pants.”  Emily protested.

“Has the doctor cleared it?”

“Yeah, he was in here not five minutes ago, and the freak won’t give me my fucking pants.”  Emily glared at her sister.

“Fine.”  Jennifer pouted and handed the article of clothing to her sister.  “I hope you choke on them.”

“I don’t want to know what you do with your pants, Jen.”  Emily snatched the pants from her.  “Kinky little fucker.”

"Two weeks."

"I know, I was there."

"I gotta call work, I gotta let Steph know.  I need to make a list.  Where's my phone?"

"Still in your bag." Jennifer lifted Emily's bag and began to rummage through it.  "Ok, why the hell do you have this?"  She pulled a small, unopened container of jello from the bag.

“What?”  Emily shifted in the passenger seat of the small car to turn and look at her sister.  “Fuck--ow.”

“Stop moving, dipshit.”

“I’m trying--oh--where the fuck did that jello come from?”

“It was in your bag.”  Jennifer handed the cup to Emily.  “Did you take it for a snack or something?”

“I could barely finish half of the cream-of-wheat they brought me.  I didn’t want a snack.”  Emily eyed it curiously.

“Well, fine then.  I thought you might get hungry later, so I snagged it.  Sue me.”  Richard spoke up from the driver’s seat.

“You stole jello from the hospital?”

“I was trying to be nice.”  He hmphed.

“Dude--you fucking _stole_ jello from a fucking hospital.  Em, we are in the presence of a criminal mastermind.”  Emily held her side while she giggled.

“Shut up.” He scowled and turned his attention back to the road.

“Thanks for thinking of me.”  His scowl faded into a small smile.

 

“I have a great idea.”  Once they were back at the hotel, Richard finagled a wheelchair for Emily to use.  She wasn’t supposed to do a lot of moving for two weeks, and he was going to make sure, at least for the rest of the time they were together, that she would follow those directions.  “You could take this chair and give it to someone who actually needs it.”

Once again, she felt like a leper--like someone that everyone would look at and feel sorry for.  And just as before--she didn’t want it.  She just wanted to be seen as a normal person.  Not someone who was seen as a pity case.

“Em, sit your ass in the goddamned chair.  You heard the doctor.  Nothing strenuous--including a lot of walking.  And this will keep people from bumping in to you and messing up your incisions.”  Emily sat, grumbling.

“One of these days, I’m actually going to go somewhere and just be another face in the crowd.  I’m tired of everyone feeling like they need to goddamned mother-hen me.”

“Hey, you listen up, missy.”  Richard knelt down in front of the chair.  “You are going to use this thing and you are going to take it easy.  I don’t care if I have to sit on you to keep you in it.  I am not having you fuck up your side on my watch.  So sit there and shut the fuck up.”  He was expecting her to get angry, not grin at him.

“You’re fucking adorable when you get all bossy.”

“Don’t talk to me.”  He held his composure as he moved around the chair, but broke out in a grin once he began to push her further into the casino.

“Old married couple, I’m telling you.”  Jennifer followed, shaking her head.

 

“Welcome all to Las Vegas!  We have a great weekend lined up...”  Emily fiddled with her chair as Richard began to MC.  Not that she didn’t enjoy watching him do his thing, but it was the same spiel every year...no video cameras, no sound equipment...yadda yadda yadda.

“Stop it, you’re going to fucking break it.”  Jennifer swatted at Emily’s hands.

“I’m bored.  Wanna go race down the hallway?”

“First, those are the pain meds talking--you’re spacing out.  Second, with all those pain meds, there’s no way in hell you could beat me.  Third, shut up.”

“Ooo--I’ve got a great idea for a costume!”

“Holy fuck, woman, shut your goddamned mouth before I find a stapler.”  Emily pouted and folded her arms across her chest, but managed to keep her mouth shut.

 

Emily fiddled with the chair again.  She just couldn’t keep her hands still.  Logically, she knew it had to be the meds that were making her antsy, but she couldn’t seem to control it.

“Hey.”  She looked up to see Richard enter the backstage area.  Jennifer had left her minutes prior to find a bathroom.  That had left her alone, which, surprisingly, hadn’t terrified her...it only made her itch to do something.

“I fucking hate these pain meds.”  She moved her hands to her lap and began to tap her fingers against her knees.  “I can’t fucking sit still.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, sweetheart.”  He shrugged.  “We could try aspirin or something.”

“That could work.  Thanks.”  Her fingers continued to drum out a frantic beat.  “Fuuuuuck.”  She growled and moved her hands so that she was sitting on them.  Without her consent, her feet began to tap against the foot rests of the chair..  “I can’t turn it off!”  She pouted.  He chuckled at her obvious discomfort.  “Jerk.”

“Did I hear someone use my line?”  Jared’s face appeared in the doorway of the room.  “Em--what the fuck are you--why are--you said it wasn’t that serious.”  Jared grabbed a pillow from the couch and threw it at Richard.  “Someone wanna explain the wheelchair?”

“Chill.  I had my gallbladder removed.  It was emergency surgery, but it’s really not that serious, now that it’s out.  Captain Jerk-face here insists that I use a wheelchair, only, now he’s laughing at me because the pain meds won’t let me sit still.”  Emily nodded down towards her feet which seemed to be bouncing furiously against the foot rests.

“Don’t be a jerk-face, Dick.”  Jared reprimanded as he plopped down in the chair next to her.  “How are you doing?”

“I’m alright.  Been better.  Been a lot worse.  This is...OK.”

“Good.”  He reached out to touch her shoulder but thought better of it.  He was surprised when her hand shot out and grabbed his.

“I’m getting better.”  She held his hand loosely in hers.

“No hugs?”  She laughed at his hopeful expression.

“Getting there.  Maybe next year.”  He nodded in defeat, but squeezed her hand gently.

“Is that Em--OK, wheelchair?  Someone fill me in.”  Jensen demanded, stopping short of entering the room when he saw Emily.

“I swear, the two of you are the older brothers I never wanted.”  She grinned cheekily at him.  

“Long story short--Emily is now sans gallbladder.  The chair is to keep Jared from hugging her to death.  Any questions, no? Good.”  Richard explained.

“Fuck, don’t make me laugh.”  Emily pulled her hands to her side as she giggled.

“No can do, beautiful.  I like seeing you smile.”  He winked at her and she stopped giggling to blush.

 

“Man, this means I can’t do karaoke tomorrow.”  Emily pouted.

“Seriously, Em.  I thought you were joking when you talked about it before.”  Jennifer looked up from what she was doing.

“No, the costume idea that you’re taking way too seriously--that’s what I was joking about.”  Emily gestured to the shirt she was wearing.  Jennifer had shredded the right front side, right where Emily’s incisions were, and was now adding some costume blood to complete the effect.

“It’s perfect.  I’m Growley, you’re my victim.”

“You and that fucking costume.”

“Well, I couldn’t wear it last year, so I have to find a way to fit it in somehow.”  Emily shook her head.

“You sure it doesn’t look too weird with the incisions showing?”

“Are you kidding?  That’s what makes this whole costume perfect.”  Emily shrugged, feeling strange about showcasing her surgery marks as part of an outfit.  “Besides, Richard’s gonna flip over seeing you baring skin.”

“And now we’ve crossed into weird.”

“Not weird.  He’s gonna like it.”

“And you know this, how?”

“Like this.”  Before Emily had time to protest, Jennifer whipped out her phone and snapped a picture.  “And send.”

“I hate you.”  Emily grumbled.  “Bet you anything he says I need to be back in the chair.”  She’d decided to forgo the use of the chair around their hotel room.  It was small enough as it was without trying to add space for the chair.

“Fuck, you’re right.”  Jennifer looked at the reply.  “That’s not what I wanted you to comment about, asshat.”  She typed a response back as she spoke.  Before she could hit ‘send’ another 2 messages had come through.  “He says you look good.”

“I don’t look good.  I look like I just had surgery yesterday.”

“He says that you should shut up about looking bad.  He thinks you look beautiful.”  Jennifer was impressed.  Richard had known exactly where Emily’s like of thinking would go--just as she had with his.  Maybe there was something between them.

“Maybe we should have saved this set for tomorrow--for the contest.  You make a convincing looking Growley.”

“Nah.  Tomorrow, it’s all about high-school.”  Jennifer grinned.

“Damn, girl.”  Kim smiled as Emily wheeled herself into the small conference room deemed Kim’s ‘dressing room.’  “I was about to come find you.  You’re gonna wear yourself out if you push yourself too much.”

“I’m OK.”  Kim frowned at the weariness in the younger woman’s voice.  “Just needed to come see you.  Wanted to explain what happened with the surgery, since it seems that no one can communicate clearly.”  After Jared and Jensen, the entirety of the band had freaked out upon seeing her in a wheel chair.  And Felicia.  Then, of course, Mark hadn’t seemed too surprised about the chair, but he had chastised her for not taking better care of herself before tousling her hair and walking off like the cheeky Brit he was.

“How are you feeling?”

“A little sore.  But I’m due for more aspirin in a bit.  The wheelchair is to keep me from getting bumped and getting hurt.  The surgery went fine and I am bummed that I’m eating about half of what I was before, but the doctor said that would probably happen, so I’m not worried.”  She smiled up at Kim.  “Do I even want to know what kind of messages you got about this?”

“You gotta stop scaring us, Em.  I swear, I’m going to need a new box of hair color just to get rid of all the gray you’re causing me.”  From anyone else, Emily might have felt uncomfortable hearing that.  From Kim, however, she took it as it was meant.

“You are aware that last April was a misunderstanding.”

“Doesn’t mean I worried any less.”  Kim placed her hand on Emily’s shoulder and squeezed.  “You don’t stop worrying about the people you love.”  Both women smiled.  “And let me tell you, putting up with Richard when all that went down, was not fun.”

“I feel like you’re saying something without saying something.”  Emily cocked an eyebrow.

“Everyone of us on the con tour knows he cares about you.  A lot.  I think he cares more than even he’s willing to admit to himself.  I’m not telling you to overwhelm you--I don’t know exactly where your head’s at since last year.  I just want you to know that, should you decide that’s what you want, well, it’s pretty clear to everyone around here that you’ve got it.”

“Kim, I have no idea if that’s what I want.  I don’t even know how to tell.”  Emily began to panic.

“Relax.  Deep breath.”  Kim walked her through a deep breath and then smiled.  “Let’s try it this way.”  She waited until Emily had calmed completely.  “How do you feel when you’re around him?”

“Honestly?  I’ve never met a man more infuriatingly adorable than him.  One minute he’s got me pissed off at how bossy he’s being, and the next, I can’t help but think how cute his eyebrows get when he’s scolding me.  It’s fucking distracting.”

“That’s got to be the sweetest thing I have ever heard.”  Kim chuckled.  “OK, how do you feel when you’re not around him?”

“You mean, like this past year?”  Kim nodded.  “I missed him.  I mean, I’m not going to say it was like a part of me was missing, because, really, that missing part was me, not him.  When I hit lows, I’d go days without thinking about him, just kinda drowning in my own head.  And while, yeah, his texts and calls certainly cheered me up, somewhere along the line I’ve come to the conclusion that I have to sort my shit out for me, not for him.  I mean, he’s still kinda acting like the knight in shining armor.  I like that he’s looking out for me, but...I gotta rescue myself, you know?”  Emily paused, willing her tears away.  “I gotta be able to stand on my own two feet because what if it doesn’t work out?  I can’t build myself on him because I honestly don’t know if that foundation is gonna last.  Because, fuck, I saw those messages you guys sent Jen, and I don’t want it to ever come down to it not being a misunderstanding.”

“You know, you’re gonna have to tell him all this.”  Emily blew out a breath.

“I know.  Fuck, I don’t want to, but I know I need to.”  She smiled.  “I really did miss him this past year.  As annoying as he can be, he’s kinda grown on me.”

“He’s like algae.”  Kim agreed and Emily laughed.

 

“I think I like last year’s costume better.”  Emily blushed under Richard’s gaze.

“Wait--you weren’t in costume.”  Felicia argued, looking to Emily for confirmation.

“Last day of the con, you missed it.  She makes a more convincing Gabriel than I do.”  He wiggled his eyebrows and she grinned.  “Of course, I’d say it was a tie for Chuck between Jen and Rob.  Jen’s got nicer legs, but Rob has the benefit of being able to grow a beard instead of painting it on.”

“Ah, the joys of manhood.”  Rob smiled.

“I swear, the only word that pops into my head right now is ‘dweeb’--in a totally good, ‘dweeby’ way.”  Jennifer rushed to clarify.  “Fuck...I’m going to be smited, I can tell.”

“He’s not a vengeful god, so I think you’re OK.”  Richard smirked.

“I can certainly be bought.”  Rob added.

“I think I’m in over my head.”  Jennifer groaned.  “Come on, Em.  We should get to our seats before it starts up again.”

“Wait--aspirin?”  Emily looked up at her sister.

“Got it.”  Jennifer patted the pocket that had been stitched into her costume as a last minute add-on.

“Here.”  Richard handed Emily a bottle of water.

“And now, I think I’m gonna hurl.”

“Bathroom’s down the hall.”  Emily grinned up at her.

*****End Thursday*****

Emily yawned and stretched.  While she hated missing any of the panels, she was glad she’d decided to leave early the day before.  And yes, she’d missed Richard’s opening for the day by at least an hour, but it felt good to sleep in.

“Jen?”  When no answer came, she pushed herself up, ignoring her soreness, and out of the bed.  “Ah, a letter.  I feel like I’m looking for Blue’s Clues.”  She snatched up the paper Jennifer had left on her own bed.  

 _Em,  
_ _Went to go get breakfast.  Richard wants you to call him back.  Yes, I answered your phone.  No, I did not ask him what he was wearing.  I can be a caring sister sometimes.  I will bring you back some apple pancakes from Blueberry Hill.  When you talk to Richard, tell him no, I will not bribe the waitstaff into performing Fats Domino._

 _Love you,  
_ _Jen_

Smiling, she sat back on her bed and grabbed her phone from the nightstand.

“Good morning, starshine.”

“The earth says hello.”

“‘Hair’ or Oliver?”

“How about both?”  Emily laid back down and pulled the covers back over herself.  “Jen says no-go on Fats Domino.”

“Party-pooper.”  She laughed.  “Hey, I’m off stage for a bit--Face-Time me?”

“Why?  So you can see just how awful I look first thing in the morning?”  She yawned and pulled the phone away to press the necessary buttons.  “See?  Not pretty.”

“You’re gorgeous.”  He grinned at the color rising to her cheeks.  “One of these days, you’re actually going to believe me when I tell you that.”  She rolled her eyes.  “Missed you this morning.”

“Technically, it still is morning.  For another seven minutes.”  She pointed out.

“True--but someone here wants to see you.”  He panned the phone around until she was seeing Misha waving at her awkwardly from across the room.

“Christ--it’s bad enough looking like this when I’m talking to you--now there’s two insanely attractive men staring at my bed-head.”  He turned the phone back to face him only to find that she’d put a pillow over her head.  “Not cool.”  Came her muffled response.

“Am I going to have to interpret muffle-ese for the rest of this conversation?”  Misha chuckled.

“Tell her I’m going, but only if she promises to show her face sometime today.”

“I promise nothing!”  Emily responded.

“She’ll be down after her sister gets back with breakfast and they have a chance to eat.”

“Good enough.”  Misha smiled and left the tiny room.

“This is when I need a clip of that sock calling you a liar.”  Emily’s face just barely poked out from beneath the pillow.

“Am I lying?”  Richard challenged.

“No.  Ugh...Fine.”  She tossed the pillow away and sat up, keeping the phone in one hand.  “Might as well get up.  Gotta go put my costume on.”  She grumbled.

“Does this one involve a mustache?”  He wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed.

“Actually, Jen figured, since we wore those last year, we couldn’t recycle them.”  He watched the scene behind her change as she slowly moved around her room.  “So, we didn’t bring those costumes.  Or, most of those costumes.  Hang on.”  Suddenly, he was looking at the ceiling in her room--she must have set her phone down.  He could hear her rummage through something.  “Ah-ha.”  A moment later, he was looking at her face--now equipped with the same cheesy porno mustache she’d worn before.  “Still look as good as you remember?”

“Better.”  He laughed.  Even with her hair sticking up in at least ten different directions, and pillow creases temporarily marring her skin, her eyes held a lot less sadness than they had the year before, and that would always be a beautiful thing.  “You know, we still have to test that theory.”  Shit--was that too forward?  Would she take that the wrong way?  Was he jumping the gun?

“Oh, um...gotta go.”  The screen of his phone went to black.

Fuck.

 

“Fucking finally.”  Emily wheeled herself into his dressing room after spending thirty minutes trying to find him.  “You know all these goddamned rooms look alike?”

“What are you doing here?”  He’d been kicking himself since their earlier phone call had ended so abruptly.

“Looking for you, genius.”  She parked her chair near the entrance and pushed herself up.  “You, sir, have been avoiding me.”

“Have not.”  He argued, jumping to his feet and rushing to her side.  “You, ma’am, are supposed to be taking it easy.”  He fussed even as he led her to the couch in the room.

“I swear, you make me feel like an invalid sometimes.”  She glared at him as she sat.  Then she pointed to the space next to her. “Sit.”

“And you make me feel like I’m your puppy.”  He complained even as he sat where she pointed.

“Hair like a collie, temperament of a terrier.”  He cocked an eyebrow.  “Is it safe to assume that the reason you’ve been avoiding me is because of how our phone call ended?”

“I’m not--”

“Don’t argue, just answer.”

“I don’t want to make you feel like you’re being pressured into something you’re not ready for.”

“Do you think I’d try calling you back as many times as I did if I felt any pressure?”  He’d declined her incoming call at least 3 times.  “I don’t know how it is with your sisters, but as a general rule, my sister and I do not have discussions about making out in front of each other.  We’d never let the other live it down.”

“You mean Jen--”

“I heard her coming in the door just before I hung up with you.  Forgot I had the mustache on and everything.”  Emily explained.  “That was an interesting conversation that I’d be OK never reliving.”  She still wasn’t entirely sure how she got around having to explain to Jennifer about how the mustache was because her friend--or whatever Richard was to her--wanted to test a tickle-theory.

“So this was all just--”

“A misunderstanding, yeah.”  She pulled the mustache from the pocket on her custodian jumper.  She wiggled her eyebrows and he smiled.

“Just--before anything else is said or done, I need you to hear me out about something.”  His fingers itched, but he needed to get his message across to her.  “I can’t have you interrupting me, OK?  Just let me get this all out?”  She nodded, setting the mustache on the table so he could have her complete attention.  “I feel--I want--shit, how do I say this?”  He ran a hand down his face.  She bit her lip, wanting to help, but unsure how.  “Fuck it, I want to kiss you and touch you and just lay you out on this couch or press you up against the wall, but I don’t know how far you are comfortable with.  I want to fist my hands in your hair while tasting that cinnamon mouthwash you use.  I want you in my lap, writhing against me until my head’s ready to explode.  Pun intended.”  He growled.  “I just--I will go as slowly as you need to go, but I’m not really sure where to start.  And I want to make sure I stop before it gets too much for you--I just don’t want to get to where you’re panicking and terrified of me before I realize it.”  He looked over to see her staring at her hands, her fingers twisting in her lap.  He sighed.  “Say something, please.”

“Fuck.”  It was quiet but clear.  Finally, she looked up at him.  “Do you--god, I--I don’t even know what to say.”  He felt his heart began to sink until he noticed her legs shifting slightly against each other.  “Rich, do you have any idea what you do to me?”  She looked more nervous than uncomfortable.  “I seriously thought it was a myth that a person could get turned on just by hearing someone else talk.”

“I--”

“Nope.  My turn.”  She moved to hold his hands between them on the couch.  “No interruptions, OK?”  He nodded.  “God, I want so badly for you to push me up against the wall, right now, it’s fucking hard--difficult to think right now.”  She closed her eyes.  “OK, shit--that’s not any better because apparently my mind is in cinematic movie mode.”  She let go of his hands and shifted so that she was facing away from him.  “Christ, now all I can see is the wall.”  She turned back to him.  “I know this is your room, but do you think you could kinda get out of here for like a minute so I can stop thinking about that?  Otherwise, I’ll never be able to get this out.”

“Sure. I've got to go on in a minute anyway.”  

"Wait, so you were just gonna say all that and then leave?"

"You're the one who came looking for me."  He protested, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."  He leaned closer and kissed her forehead.  One corner of her mouth tugged upward.

“You OK?”  He'd elected not to hang out backstage after his intro, instead, choosing to head back to the room where Emily, thankfully, still sat.

“Yeah.”  She bit her lip.

“If you keep doing that, _I'm_ not going to be OK.”

“Sorry.”  She let go of her lip as he sat down on the couch with her, a bigger gap between them this time.  “Ready?”

“For whatever you want.”

“Shut up.  That’s not helping.”  She smacked his shoulder and he grinned.  “Seriously, be quiet.  I was quiet when you were talking so you can keep that gorgeous mouth shut while I’m talking.”  He nodded, lips sliding into a smirk.  She took a deep breath--this was going to be difficult.  “There are things I want to do with you--things I honestly thought I’d never want to do with anyone after--well, just after.”  His smirk faded and he gave her his full attention.  “And I don’t just mean sex.  I didn’t think I’d ever find someone I’d even consider wanting to make long-term plans with, but I find myself wanting to do that with you.”  She looked down at her lap.  “I get that I still have a long way to go with recovery.  It’s not something I’m just going to wake up one morning and be over.  It will never go away completely.”  She looked up and was surprised to see him nodding.  “This is something I will have for the rest of my life.  Something I’m going to have to deal with and work on managing forever.”  She paused.  “And I get that it’s not something that people want to deal with.  I sure as fuck don’t want to deal with it, and so, I’ll understand if you decide you don’t want to.  Unfortunately, I have to--which is why, this whole healing thing has to be my thing.  Not that I don’t want you in my life.  It’s not that at all.  I just--I want you to understand that this has to be my thing.  I have to want this for me--not for you or my sister or anyone.”

“I get that.”  He began when it seemed she was done.  “Or rather, I’m learning that.”  He smiled and inclined his head towards the backpack that had been leaning against the small table.  Curious, she looked inside only to find he had at least three different books, all looking to be well-read with pages dog-eared, on PTSD and helping someone else cope with it.  “Jennifer recommended that if I was serious about us, I’d need to do my research and not go into this half-assed.”  Emily looked up, tears and a smile, and practically launched herself into his arms.  He rubbed her back as she cried into his shirt.  

“Hey, Emily?”  She startled awake to find Richard kneeling next to her.  The last thing she remembered was crying and him holding her--apparently, she’d fallen asleep in his arms.  At some point, he’d maneuvered her so that she was laying on her side and he was off the couch completely.  “Fuck.”  His hand went immediately to his now sore jaw.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry.”  Emily sat up in a panic--she’d hurt him in her floundering.  She tried to cover her gasp with her hands.  “Shit, Rich.  I didn’t mean to.”

“Better than a black-eye I suppose.”  He moved to sit on the couch as he worked his jaw--sore, but nothing he couldn’t handle.  “Although, you did kinda just punch my money-maker.”  He got the response he was looking for when he saw her eyes crinkle, indicating a smile behind her fingers.  “Might have to have you host the rest of the con since I’m all broken here.”

“No thanks.  No one is as gifted at gab as you are.”  She lowered her hands and tentatively reached up to touch the red mark gracing his face.  “Should I get some ice for you?”

“Nah, I’m tough.”  He turned his head to kiss her fingertips.  She tried not to yank her hand away, but ended up doing just that.  “Sorry.”

“No.  It’s just...”  She sighed.  “First thing after I wake up isn’t usually the best time to try and touch me.  I _have_ given Jennifer a black eye before, although she wasn’t as easy going about it as you’re being.  Well, at least not for the first one.”

“The first one?”

“I’ve managed to give her a black eye three times before it stuck with her that she needed to give me my space until I’m completely awake.  The first time, she was pissed as fuck at me for that whole day, because she’d had to go to work looking like she’d gotten beat up.  She came home feeling bad for being mad--I guess someone brought a dog in that had been abused and it lashed out at everyone that came near it.  They thought they were going to have to put him down until Jennifer decided to have a little patience with him.  He calmed down after that.  Still not sure how OK I am with being compared to a dog, but at least she wasn’t angry the other two times.”

“Well, I will try to make sure this lesson sticks with me.”  She bit her lip at the implication that he was planning on sticking around.  But hadn’t that been what the books were about?  What everything he’d done since...well, since they’d met?  Hadn’t they all been indicators that he wanted to stay and he wanted her to stay as well?

“I think--I think I’m gonna need a safeword.”

“There something you want to tell me?”  He cocked an eyebrow.

“No, no.”  Just the thought of that squicked her out and she shuddered.  “I mean, you said before you want to know when to stop...before I get uncomfortable.  I just--maybe there could be like something I could say when I’m getting close to that point...something other than ‘get the fuck off me?’”

“Makes sense.”  That would certainly freak him out if she ever said that to him--if he ever did anything to make her say that to him.  “I think you should come up with it.  It’s gotta be something you’re comfortable saying.”

“Well, I can see where the word ‘fuck’ could get confusing, but--shit--I don’t know.  You ever use a safeword before?”

“Not going there with you, sweetheart.”  He smiled gently, taking her hands in his.

“Oh my god, you have!”  She squealed with laughter.  “Were you the dom or--oh shit, you were totally the sub, weren’t you?”

“You’re making me not want to have this conversation with you.”

“Sorry,” even though he could tell by her tone that she really wasn’t--not completely.  “Banana?”

“Do I get to veto these?”

“But I like bananas.”  She pouted.

“Yes, and now all I can think about is you putting your pretty lips around the end of one.  Next suggestion.”  He shifted with the sudden pressure he felt.

“Poodle?”

“So my mind either goes to bestiality or to the thought of you in a poodle skirt like Sandy from Grease.  No thank you.”

“I’m running out of ideas.  Stop vetoing every one of them.”

“Stop coming up with ones that are either a total boner killer or boner rejuvenator.  That’s not the point of a safeword.”

“Boner rejuvenator?”  She cackled.  “I can’t believe you just said that.”  He shook his head and rolled his eyes at her.  “I could say--no--” She shook her head.  “Gallbladder just seems too gross.”

“Really?  Gallbladder?  Where the fuck are you coming from with these?”

“That one is because I haven’t had any aspirin in a while and it’s starting to hurt.”  She admitted.

“Well, that’s one problem I can solve.”  He pulled a water bottle and a bottle of aspirin from his backpack.  Smiling gratefully, she swallowed three of the pills and washed them down with the water.  “Need something to eat?”

“Convention.”  She said softly.

“What?”

“I think that should be the safeword.  You know...something that will let you know that I’m nearing my comfort level, but that will also let you know that I still want you to stay.”  She bit her lip.  “Would that work?”

“Might need to try it out.  Take it for a test run.”  He licked his own lips.  She hesitantly placed her hands on either side of his face before leaning in and kissing him.  “Can I...?”  He held up his own hands near her and she nodded.  Slowly, he leaned forward and kissed her, sliding one of his hands to rest in her hair at the back of her head.  He made sure to keep his touch light, even as he felt her hands slide into his hair and tug slightly.

He increased his pressure on her mouth gradually, before sliding his tongue out to tease her lips.  She parted them slowly, hesitating for just a moment.  He eased back, but she followed him, seeking his tongue with her own.  Then he moved his other hand to the base of her neck, softly stroking the skin with his thumb.  It wasn’t long before he heard her whimper.

“You ready to try out that safeword now?”  He leaned away slightly, reeling himself back under control in anticipation of everything needing to stop.

“Is it OK if I do?”  Her hands slid down, out of his hair, but didn’t leave him completely, instead, coming to rest on his shoulders.

“The whole point of a safeword is that it’s OK, anytime, beautiful.”

“Feels kinda dumb to say it now.”  She leaned forward, resting her head against his chest.  “Thank you.”

 

“And this, my dears, is Osric.  He was unable to make it last year due to scheduling conflicts.  AKA--he’s a big movie star now and doesn’t have time for us.”  Misha grabbed Osric around the neck and kissed his temple.  “Osric, Emily and Jennifer.”

“The lovely lady who’s captured Dick’s heart.”  Osric shook Emily’s hand once Misha had released him.  She’d decided to go sans wheelchair, still keeping it close by--folded up against the wall of the backstage room, just in case she needed it, or Richard flipped his shit, the big caring lug that he was.  “And the equally lovely sister.”  He took Jennifer’s hand and kissed her knuckles.  Emily grinned, watching blush rise to her sister’s cheeks.

“You ladies made it back just in time for karaoke.”  Jared smiled at Emily, dressed as the custodian he played.  “Dick’s off signing stuff, so he wanted me to make sure you’re alright.”

“I’m fine.  And I’m pretty sure Jen’s fine too.”  Emily noticed her sister’s cheeks were about as red as her shorts.  

“Dick was right--you do have nice legs.”  Jensen whistled as he took in Jennifer’s PE coach outfit.

“Shut your face, Ackles,” Jennifer snapped, suddenly embarrassed by the attention she was getting.  “You’re just jealous that I look better in these shorts than you did.”  

“The sass on you, makes me so proud.”  Emily wiped a mock-tear from her eye.  “I have trained you well, young Padawan.”

“Hey, you’re all here.”  The man Emily recognized as Freddy Barnes burst into the room.  “Where’s Dick?”

“Autographs.”  Jensen mumbled around the food he was eating.

“Oh.  OK.  Um, Emily, would you mind coming with me?”

“What’s going on?”  Everyone in the room was suddenly on alert.  Freddy’s tone was ominous.

“I’ll explain later, just...please?”

“Let’s go.”  Jennifer looped her arm through her sister’s.  “You need me to get the wheelchair?”

“No, just...slow.”

Richard could finally see the end of the line for his autograph when he spotted Freddy entering the room flanked by a slow moving Emily and Jennifer.

“Can I just ask all of you to hold on for one quick second?  Thanks.”  He hopped out of his chair and dashed around the table towards the trio.  “Where the fuck is your chair?”

“Tired of sitting.  Freddy said this was urgent.”  Emily smiled hopefully up at him.

“Ladies, give us a second.”  Freddy pulled Richard’s arm and led him off to the side, away from the sisters and the fans.  “Dick--we may have an issue.”

“You’re about to have an issue--where the fuck is her chair?”

“Will you listen to me, Rich?  Ty’s here.”  Richard felt the color drain from his face.  “Apparently the fans have been petitioning and--”

“No.”  Richard shook his head.  “Not a chance in hell.”

“He’s been sober for a year now.”  Freddy protested weakly.

“Good for him.”  Came Richard’s sarcastic remark.  “I don’t want him anywhere near her.”  He’d been so afraid, on the trip to this town, that Emily would take one look at him and flashback to the night she’d been assaulted by Ty.  He felt damned lucky it hadn’t happened that way.  But if she actually saw Ty...?  

“I don’t really think it’s your call, man.  Creation brought him back in.  He’s the one who actually called me--wanted me to warn everyone, or whatever.”

“Fuck it all to hell.”  Richard ran a hand through his hair.  “What am I supposed to do about Emily?”  How was she supposed to handle seeing Ty when he wasn’t even sure he could handle seeing the man.

“You could talk to her about it.  See how she feels about it.  And if she’s not comfortable with seeing him, I’d be more than happy to make alternate arrangements for her when he’s on stage.”

“Goddamn it, man.  Do you understand there is an entire backstage full of people who feel like she’s their sister?  How are they going to feel, seeing the man who assaulted their sister, huh?”  He knew he was grasping at straws.  Every single one of them, aside from himself apparently, would handle the situation diplomatically.  

He looked over at the woman who’d flipped his world just a year ago.  She still smiled at him, although he could see the tiredness in her eyes, not to mention the worry she had for him.  He tried to smile back, but his heart wasn’t in it.  And it certainly wasn’t in to signing any more autographs right now.

“Excuse me, ladies and--gentle _man_.”  The crowd laughed.  “There’s been a slight change in plans and it looks like I am needed elsewhere.  I have another autograph session tomorrow morning, and your ticket is still good then.  Sorry folks.”

“Love you, Richard!”  One of the girls yelled.

“Love you, too!”  He yelled back, waving as they all filed out.  A few of them did a double take when they saw Emily and Jennifer, but that wasn’t high on his list of things to freak out about.

“You ready for us?”  Jennifer called over.  Emily was trying hard not to lean on her sister, but Richard could tell she was losing that battle.

“Give us just a second.  You two can go sit at the table.”  He gestured to the table he’d been happily signing autographs at not five minutes prior.

“You’ve gotta suck it up, man.  You’re the MC of this thing.  I know you care a lot about the girl, but she’s just that--a girl.  This is your career.”

“So because Ty is a celebrity, he gets a pass?  He physically assaults a woman, which very well could have escalated, and because his face in on TV, I’m just supposed to overlook what he did?  I’m just supposed to welcome him back with open arms knowing just how fucking traumatized he made her?”

“Hey, Dick...we’re on in ten.”  Matt poked his head into the room.  “What?”  He didn’t like the concern he saw etched on everyone’s faces.  He smiled at Emily and Jennifer before walking over to join Freddy and Richard.  “I take it this is not good news?”

“Ty’s here.”  It was Matt’s turn to pale.

“Here, here?  Like we need to sneak Emily out the back so she doesn’t see him, here?”

“No, he’s in his room.  But Creation wants him brought in as a surprise guest tomorrow.”  Freddy informed him.

“Tomorrow?  Like during my panel?”  Richard’s face held nothing but contempt.

“Yeah--they figured since you were able to handle him last year when he--you know--”

“Assaulted someone?”  Richard fumed.

“Look man, I brought her in here because I figured you’d be the best one to break it to her.  I already told you I’ll make alternate arrangements for her if she’s uncomfortable being here when he’s on.  I don’t know what more you want from me.”

“I want you to stand up to those fuckheads who pull the strings and tell them they can’t fucking do this.  Seriously--fuck--any other town but here.”  He was willing to compromise.

“They thought Vegas would be the best--you know, he cleaned up here, now he’s back and proving himself to the fans.”

“Fuck!”

“Anytime now, fellas, would be awesome.”  All three men spun around when they heard Jennifer’s voice from just behind them.  Emily was still sitting, her arms folded on the table and her head resting on her arms.  “What’s so goddamned important?”

“Ty’s here.”

“What?!?!”  Jennifer squawked.

“At the hotel, in his room.  Not actually at the convention.”  Freddy clarified.

“Because that’s just so much better.”  Jennifer spat out.  “Let me guess, you all are trying to find a tactful way of breaking it to my sister that the bastard who assaulted her last year is now about to just casually bounce back into her life?”

“She confronted him a day after the incident.  I don’t see how a year--” Freddy began.

“You obviously know no one who’s suffered from PTSD, so let me spell it out for you.  For _months_ after we got home last year, she had nightmares--nightmares that woke her up at least a dozen times a night, even after she’d started therapy.  She still has them at least once a week.  She’s had lows for days on end and she had to go back on an antidepressant.  She still can’t bring herself to hug most people--even the little first graders she tutors in the afternoons.  So yeah, she confronted him, but that doesn’t mean she’s OK.”

“There’s apparently nothing we can do to keep him out of here.”

“Then let me get _her_ out of here.  I can’t watch you guys yank the rug out from under her.”  Jennifer looked back at her sister who had closed her eyes and seemed to be dozing peacefully.  

“Let me talk to her first.”  Jennifer nodded at Richard.  He sighed, but squared his shoulders as if he were going to battle and walked over to the table.  “Emily?”  He made sure to stay out of hitting range.

“I’m not sleeping.”  She didn’t open her eyes.  “Just resting.  You ready to tell me what’s got everyone’s panties in a twist?”  Lazily, she lifted her head and smiled at him, opening her eyes just enough to see him from under her lashes.

“I don’t really know how to tell you this,” he kept his eyes on the table as he took the seat next to her.

“You could try looking at me.”

“Sweetheart,”  He looked into her eyes--they looked weary, “Ty’s at the hotel.”

“Oh.”  And just like that, he watched as stress took over her features.  “Um, OK?”  Her gaze darted around the room, seeming to look for any possible threat.  Her arms crossed her chest as if she were hugging herself.  “That why you all look so devastated?”  She tried to smile, but he couldn’t ignore her knee-jerk reaction.

“I don’t know what to do to make this right for you.  The head honchos at Creation brought him in at fans’ request.  They thought it would be good publicity for the reappearance to happen in the town where he did his rehab--some sort of redemption piece or whatever.  Freddy just got the news from Ty--apparently he wanted to warn us about his appearance so we could make sure you’re taken care of.”  And for that, at least, he was grateful.  “Tell me what I can do to fix this for you.”

“Do I...do I need to talk to him?”

“Not if you don’t want to.”  Richard assured her.  He placed his hand palm side up on the table as an invitation that she accepted without hesitation.  “If you want to talk to him, that can certainly be arranged, but don’t feel like you even have to be here when he’s on.”

“And when will that be?”

“During my solo panel tomorrow.”  He sighed in frustration.  “Apparently, since I handled him _so well_ last year, someone higher up the pay grade than I am decided I could handle him this year.”  Richard rolled his eyes.  “Freddy already said he’d make alternate arrangements for you and Jen.  You just tell him what you want to do--.”

“I want to see your panel.”  She interrupted quietly.

“Emily--”

“No.  This is one of those things that is going to be part of my healing.  I need to face this--see him...I need to prove to myself that I can do this.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yeah, I kinda do.  And I’m going to do it secure in the knowledge that you and my sister are behind me.”

“Always.  And everyone else here is behind you, too.  You know that, right?”  He rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand.

“They don’t know yet, do they?”  They all seemed way too relaxed around her than they probably would have been if they’d known.

“No.  Freddy came and told me first.  He’ll go fill them in once we’re done here.”  He explained.

“Then it will probably be best for everyone if I just stay in the crowd for the rest of the con.”

“Emily--”

“It’s not fair to them to feel like their loyalties are being tested.  He needs support from his friends.”

“They’re _your_ friends!”

“I never said they weren’t.  But they’re allowed to have more than one friend.  And he’s going to need them.  He’s going to need you not being a jerk-face to him.  Sobriety is not an easy road for anyone who’s suffered from addiction.”  He knew all about her dad’s problems with it, and how, even though it had happened at a young age, she was still devastated that her dad had succumbed to it.

“He’s got my support for sobriety.  What he doesn’t have is my respect for even being human.”

“You can be angry for me.  But you can’t fight my battles for me.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“It probably isn’t.  And I’ll probably hear about it from Jen for the remainder of the evening.  But it’s still something I need to do.”  She squared her shoulders.  “You don’t have to be friends with him, but you do need to be civil.”  He sighed.

“There’s no changing your mind?”

“Not really, no.”

“Am I going to need to come by afterwards with a box of tissue and some ice cream?”

“Oh, no--no dairy.  Just the thought makes my stomach churn.”  She scrunched up her nose in disgust.  “But maybe some Red Vines would be OK?”  He didn’t respond.  “If it gets to be too much, I’ll have Jennifer get me out of there, OK?  We’ll stay by the door so no one notices if we leave.  Will that be better?”

“Honestly?  The only thing that would make this better would be if I got the chance to beat the shit out of him for laying a hand on you.”  He sighed.  “But for you, I’ll try.”

*****End Friday*****

“What does that one say?”  Jennifer asked as Emily’s phone lit up in her lap.

“Kim--she says we can go hide out in her dressing room if we need to.”  All morning, she’d been receiving texts from different friends--all offering their support.

“I still think this is probably the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.  I’ve done plenty of stupid things.”

“And this one tops the list.”  Jennifer sighed.  “But if you really think this will help...”

“I’m glad you’re here with me.”

“There’s no where else I’d be.”  Emily smiled at her sister and reached out for her hand.  Jennifer interlaced their fingers just as the stage lights came on.

“...And I’m really having a blast here in Vegas.  This is actually becoming my favorite con site.  I get to watch my friends lose their money and their dignity.  Can’t beat it.”  The audience laughed, as expected.  “But really, I’ve got some amazing friends here and I enjoy spending time with them.”  Emily laughed when she saw Richard tug on his ear.  

“He’s pulling a Carol Burnett.”  Jennifer grinned.  “You’ve got yourself a keeper, Em.”

“Funny--that’s what Matt said last year about me.”

“Uh, Dick?”  Freddy’s voice came from over the loudspeakers.  “We have a little surprise for you.”

“Surprise?  For moi?  Whatever could it be?”  Richard feigned ignorance.  “Ladies and gentlemen, in a town where the house always wins, we have someone with us tonight who you may know...who overcame the odds...who’s here with us for the first time in a year, Ty Olsson!”  Emily held her breath until the man was gracing the stage.

“What’s up, Las Vegas!!!”  Jennifer squeezed her hand.

“Whenever you’re ready, just say the word.”  She whispered in Emily’s ear.

“How are you all doing this morning?”  The crowd cheered in response.  “I’m so glad to be back, see all of your lovely faces.”

“Welcome back to the con circuit, Ty.”  Richard was polite, but it was a far cry from warm.

“Thanks, man.  Listen, before we get started with questions, there’s something I need to do.”  Ty walked over and wrapped Richard up in a bear hug.  From where they were, Emily could see Richard’s arms remained down at his side--something that could easily be misconstrued as being caught off guard--but she could tell by how tightly he was gripping his mic that it was anger that kept him from reciprocating the hug.  “Seriously, ladies and gents--I owe this man my life.”  Ty continued when he’d released Richard and turned to face the crowd again.  The crowd ate it up.

“Nothing that a decent human being wouldn’t do.”  She vaguely remembered having a conversation with Richard about being a decent human being.  Maybe he was referring to that?  His hand went back to his ear and she smiled.

“No, man.  You went above and beyond.  I can’t thank you enough.”

“Really, it’s OK.”  Emily bit her lip, praying that Richard would keep a civil tongue for this panel.  “You ready for questions?”  Ty nodded.

“I have a question for you, Ty--and if you don’t feel like answering it, I completely understand.  It’s just--I have a friend who’s battling with addiction problems, and I don’t know how to help her.  What was the changing point for you, and how do I help her get there?”

“Wow, well...I--I made some choices that I’m not proud of.”  Ty began, looking at the girl who had posed the question.  “And yeah.  Richard and a few other people stepped in to show me how badly I fucked up.  Made me realize that if I couldn’t get clean for myself that I needed to get clean for my girls.  They deserve a father they can look up to instead of trip over.”

“Fuck.”  Emily’s free hand covered her mouth.  “I said that to him.”

“You need to go?”  Jennifer couldn’t tell if she was upset or just surprised.  Emily shook her head and dropped her hand to the arm rest.

“They very well could have left me to fuck up my life even worse than I already had, but they chose to rescue me instead.”  Ty sighed.  “One person in particular--she knows who she is--and if she’s here today, I just want her to know that I’m sorry, and that I am so grateful that she put herself out there to help me when she just as easily could have had my ass locked up.”

“Let’s go.”  Jennifer nodded to where Emily was white-knuckling the arm rest.

“No.  If we go, we’ll be spotted.”

“So--fuck it, you don’t need this.”

“I don’t need him to see me leave.  I don’t need anyone to question why I’m leaving this panel right as he said that.  Just--a few more minutes.”

“Well, we’re all glad you’re with us today.”  The girl finished.

“Hope that answers your question.”  Ty responded genuinely.

“Next question.”  Richard looked to the other side of the stage.

“Yes, my question is for you, Richard.  That girl from last year--is she the same one who’s been with you this year?  And if so, why is she in a wheelchair?”

“She had her gallbladder removed on Wednesday, and in an attempt to keep Jared Huggy-Bear Padalecki from squeezing her to death, she’s in a chair.”  Emily could feel the gaze of several people around her settle on her in her chair.

“Is he talking about you?”  The woman in front of her to the left questioned her softly.  Emily turned to look at her, unsure of how to answer.  “It’s OK if he is.  Just curious.”

“Wait--you have a girl with you?”  Emily looked up at the stage, alarmed, when she heard Ty asking about her.  “Is she the one everyone backstage has been gossiping about?”

“Switch me seats.”  Jennifer tugged on her sister’s hand.  “Then sneak out the exit.”

“Jen--”

“Don’t question, just move it.”  Emily nodded, glad that she and her sister were both dressed as FBI agents--it would make it easier for them to switch places without drawing a lot of attention to themselves.  With everyone’s attention back on the stage, the two women took each other’s spot--Jennifer in the wheelchair and Emily in the seat on her left.  Now, all she had to do was ease past the wheelchair and she’d have a straight shot to the exit.  “Go.”  Emily nodded her thanks before she moved as quickly as she could out of the auditorium.

“Is she here now?  I swear, all anyone is talking about back stage is how much you care about this girl.”  The crowd awed.  “Can we get the house lights on?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ty.”  Came Freddy’s voice over the speakers.

“She’s over here!”  Jennifer groaned when the girl who’d spoken to Emily yelled out.

“Not helpful.”  She groused, seeing Ty jump off stage and head in her direction.  There was no way in hell she wanted Ty anywhere near her--not after what he’d done--but if it kept him away from Emily...

“She’s adorable, Dick.”

“Hey, Jen.”  Richard waved to her from the stage, relief coloring his features.  He had been about to jump off the stage after Ty when he noticed it was Jennifer sitting in the wheelchair.  He wasn’t sure where Emily had gone, but he was just thankful she wasn’t anywhere near that damned chair.

“Hey, Dick.”  Jennifer waved back, relieved that Ty hadn’t spotted Emily and that he didn’t seem to recall having seen her before--but then, he’d only met her once, hungover, so she shouldn’t be surprised.

“She calls you Dick?”  Ty looked amused.  “Does that ever get awkward?”

“It would if we were sleeping together, but we’re not.  Dick’s a friend.   _Just_ a friend.”  If it was any other person, she might have teased that it was her sister he was sleeping with, but not this time.

“Right, so if you wouldn’t mind getting back up here so we can finish this?”

 

“I’m beginning to understand why you don’t like this fucking chair.”  Jennifer complained once she’d wheeled herself back into the hotel room.  “But man, you are going to have some killer looking arms when we leave here.”

“How--did--what happened?”  Emily had wanted to hang around and wait for her sister, but she didn’t want to risk being spotted, so Jennifer had sent her a text to go back to the room.  Reluctantly, knowing she was leaving her sister alone, she did.

“Ty came over to where I was.  Took everything in me not to slap the shit out of him.”  Jennifer got up out of the chair.  “And shit--I can’t tell you the number of people who felt the need to come talk to me as I was trying to get out of there.  Ugh.”  Jennifer shuddered.  “Asking me about my surgery and how I met Dick--oh, by the way, for whatever reason, I started calling your boyfriend Dick.  And apparently, my brain is stuck on it.  I hope that’s OK.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Really?  Because you’re the only one who seems to think that.  Em, the man was ready to jump off the stage and tackle Ty to keep him from you.  And no offense, but Dick would go down hard if a fight were to break out between the two of them.”

“Oh my god, that was horrible, Jen.”  Both women grinned.  “But really, neither one of us have put a label on it, and I’m OK with that.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.  That whole--mine and yours thing...feels like I’m being owned or something.  Don’t like it.”  She paused, trying to find the words to best explain.  “I mean, I still feel so much for him--but, I just don’t want to label it.  Does that make sense?”

“I get it.”  Jennifer eyed the cell phone Emily was clutching.  “He message you yet?”

“Yeah, he’s signing stuff, but he wanted to let me know he thought switching the two of us out was brilliant.”

“You’re welcome.”  Jennifer curtsied.  “Next time, when I tell you that I think something is a stupid idea, will you fucking listen to me?  Seriously--what if we hadn’t switched and Ty had seen and recognized you?  What would you have done?”

“I know you don’t get why I had to be there, and if those girls hadn’t said anything or asked anything--”

“Fuckers need to mind their own business.”

“I know.  But still, he’s clean, he’s better--I have to forgive him, and if I can’t even--I have to forgive him.”

“Why?”

“You know why.  You’ve been to therapy with me.  You know the forgiveness isn’t for him.”

“I don’t have to like it.”

“No.  But you’ll have to accept it.”

 

“Good lord, tumblr is blowing up with clips of you and Ty and Jen.”  Rob looked up from his phone to his friend.  “Anything you wanna tell your B-F-F?”

“I really hate that S.O.B., you know that?”  Richard slammed back his drink.  “Thinks that just because he’s clean now that I’m going to forget what he did.”  He grabbed the bottle of whiskey and poured more into his glass.  “I should have made her stay in her room.”

“And that would have been successful?”  Rob snatched the bottle from Richard and tucked it away behind the couch cushions.  “She’s got you so wrapped around her fingers--”

“God, I’m fucking pathetic, aren’t I?”  Richard gave a cynical laugh.  “So wrapped up in one girl that I can’t even do my fucking job.”

“Hey, man, none of us had an easy time of dealing with him.”  Rob admitted.  He’d watched the aloofness everyone had shown Ty when he was backstage.  Ty, on his part, hadn’t seemed surprised--more sad than anything.  “And honestly, even if you hadn’t gotten attached, just knowing that there was some girl out there he’d almost--”  his voice trailed off, which only seemed to irritate Richard more.

“Raped?  We’re grown men, Rob, we can use the correct term for it.  He almost raped her.”  Richard grimaced as he downed the alcohol.

“Damn, man, I don’t like this side of you.”  Rob moved to fix a glass of water.  “Have you talked to her?”

“Sent her a message.”  Richard laid his forehead against the bar.  “What if seeing him made her relapse?  I can’t...if she’s relapsing, I don’t know if seeing me is going to help.”

“So call her, moron.”

“She’s gonna know I’ve been drinking.  If seeing him didn’t fuck her up enough, hearing me when I’m tipsy isn’t going to do her any favors.”

“Well, I’ve kinda run out of suggestions.”  There was a knock on the door as it opened.

“So, Ty’s gone.”  Matt entered the room.  “Freddy just got back from dropping him off at the airport.”  He eyed Richard and Rob.  “You want me to send Em a text and have them come down here?”

“Fuck--no.”  Richard bolted upright and grabbed the glass of water from Rob.  “She can’t see me like this.”  He began to chug the water.  “God, I’m fucking drowning myself for this girl.”

“That’s kinda what love is, dude.”  Matt and Rob both grinned as the water Richard was pouring into his mouth spilled out the sides and fell to the floor.  “Fuck, he’s adorable when he finally gets it.”

“I love her.”  Richard wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.  “Shit, you guys, I love her.”

“Heard you the first time, chief.”  Matt handed him a towel from behind the bar.  

“Well, I totally knew this was coming.  Dick, man, you’ve been head over heels for her since last year.”  Rob folded his arms across his chest.  “You gonna tell her?”

“Tell her?  I have to tell her?”  Richard’s brain was still short-circuiting.

“I don’t really take you as someone who’s going to sit by and pine quietly.”

“I can’t tell her.  I--shit, you guys, we’ve only had one ten minute make-out session before she started getting uncomfortable.  We haven’t gotten to the mustache yet.  And she hasn’t even used her safeword--so...”

“Wow.  Man--I don’t even know what you’re telling us anymore.”

“She--fuck--you guys are not supposed to know about that.”  He slapped his hand across his mouth.

“Now that we do, I’m going to have to insist that you explain.  Or I’m going to have to ask her.”

“The mustache is from her costume last year.  It’s an inside thing, and I’m going to leave it at that.  And the safeword--fuck, you guys can’t breathe a word of this.  To anyone.”  He glared at both of them.  Still smiling, they nodded.  “It’s so I can gauge how she’s doing with--whatever.  You know--I don’t want her to feel like she can’t stop whenever she starts feeling like it’s getting too much.”

“You know, man, I had my doubts about the two of you.  I mean, the way you two met is not exactly something either of you are going to want to share if anyone asks.  But, this is just fucking cute.”

“Shut-up.”

 

“Hey, drag your sister down to the con-hall.  There’s some people here who wanna meet her.”

“Ackles, you better tell me who, or no dice.”  Jennifer had had enough of surprise guests.  She wanted to know upfront what they were about to face--or rather, who.  

“Well, you see...last night, when we heard Ty was coming, Jared and I apparently both felt the need to call our wives just to kinda get some female perspective.  And wouldn’t you know it, they got together and packed up the kids...and now...if you don’t get Emily down here in five minutes, I’m being told I’m on diaper duty for the next year.”

“Wait--Gen, and Danneel and--”

“--and all the offspring.  Right.  So yeah, can you get her down here?”  He sounded antsy.

“Can you give me twenty minutes?  She’s still changing and I’m getting ice.”  She snickered at his impatient sigh.

“Just hurry.”

“You know you’re totally fucked, right?”  Jennifer grinned when Jared and Jensen met the two sisters at the backstage door.  The two girls were dressed like doctors, scrubs, lab coats, stethoscopes, all of it, along with badges declaring them ‘teddy bear doctors.’  They’d also decided to retire the wheelchair in an effort to maintain a low profile.

“What?”  Jared asked, tilting his head in curiosity when Emily slid past him into the room.

“She’s got a huge crush on both your wives.  In fact, I’m pretty sure if she could, she’d try and convince either or both to leave you guys and run away with her.”  Jennifer looked past them to see her sister blushing like she’d never seen when both Gen and Danneel casually approached her.  It wasn’t until Jared’s oldest decided to leave his toys and fling himself at Emily that she started to breathe--although erratically.

“Um, hi, yeah, hey.”  He seemed velcroed to her--she wasn’t holding him or anything, and yet his arms were glued around her neck.  He wasn’t picking up on the discomfort that definitely wasn’t coming from just having had surgery.

“Mom told me you’re sad.  Dad says hugs make everyone feel better.”  Panic filled Emily’s eyes and her breathing quickened even more.

“Hey, deep breath.  You’re OK.”  Danneel coached.  “Come on, Em.  You can do this.”  She breathed with Emily until the panic receded and she could draw a full breath.  “See, nothing bad happened, right?”  Emily nodded, squeezing her eyes shut.  “Nope, come on.  You’ve got this.  You are one tough mother fucker who could take on anything.  Right?”  Emily gave a watery laugh, hearing Danneel swear.  She opened her eyes to see Danneel smiling right back at her.  “Better?”

“Yeah.  Um, yeah.”  Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around the young boy and he nuzzled against her.  “Hey, kiddo.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.”  Jennifer smiled in relief, grateful that she didn’t have to step in.

“Hey, Jen.  Look at me.”  Emily looked at her sister, wonder filling her eyes.  “I’m not even crying or anything.”

“You wanna come play with me?  I’ve got Legos.”  Tom wiggled out of her grasp and she set him on the floor.  Then he took her hand in his and tugged.  She grinned and followed him to where he’d just been playing with the colorful building blocks.

“And this is why I fucking love my kids.”  Jared said to no one in particular.

“So, this is where everyone is hid--”  Richard stopped talking when he saw Emily sitting on the floor with Tom, who’d taken it upon himself to sit in her lap, both of them playing with Legos.  Emily looked over at him and grinned the brightest smile he’d seen on her.  “Hey.”

“No tears or nothing.”

“Ooo...we should build a castle.”  She turned back to Tom who handed her several pieces.  “With a moat.”

“Will there be a dragon?”

“Duh.”

“That is the sweetest thing I think I’ve ever seen.”  Danneel stood next to Jensen and leaned against him.  

“I think we’ve done a damn good job with that one.”  Jared wrapped his arms around his wife.  “Gotta make sure Shepherd’s a hugger too, then.”  He turned to Richard.  “Told you that hugs make the world go ‘round.”

“Seriously, you guys, I can’t--”  Jennifer cut herself off.  “Fuck, now I’m going to cry.  I’ve never seen her--damn you Padaleckis for making me all emotional.”

“God, she’s fucking beautiful when she smiles like that.”  Richard realized he’d slipped when he felt all the people around him staring at him.  “Well, she is.”  Jennifer grinned.

“...and see, this is what grown-ups do when they think you’re too busy playing to pay attention to what they’re saying.  All you’ve gotta do is pretend to play while they’re watching you, and just listen.  Seriously, they’ll say all sorts of things--like what they’re going to get you for your birthday, or if they think you need another little brother or sister.  Try it when you get home.”  Two jaws belonging to Jensen and Jared dropped when they realized what Emily and Tom were discussing.

“Do not poison my son’s mind.”  Jared yelped, causing his wife and Danneel, as well as Jennifer and Richard to laugh.

“Oh my god, she’s right.  We totally do that.”  Jensen looked at his wife in shock.  “What the hell?”

“Do you think they should come help us build our castle?”  Tom tilted his head, pondering her question.  “Your dad could be the giant who tries to get the castle but can’t cross our awesome moat.”

“That’s true.  But I think he might drown in it, so maybe better not.”

 

“How are you doing, really?”  Once the kids were all down for a nap and the men had been called for photo ops or signings, the four women relaxed on the couches in the room.

“It was weird seeing him.”  Emily admitted.  “Like--I didn’t really know how I’d feel until he actually stepped out on stage.  And then, I felt kinda numb for a bit.  Like it wasn’t really my life that he’d fucked up--just something I’d heard or whatever.  Does that make sense?”

“Sort of?”  Gen tried.  “Like an out of body experience?”

“Kind of.  Just--when those girls started asking about his rehab last year...It all just crashed back down on me.  I’m honest to god surprised I didn’t relapse right there in the auditorium.”

“I’m just glad one of us was thinking enough to get you out of there.”  Jennifer teased gently.  “Only, now I’m seeing myself in posts online--something to do with dicks--and I don’t like it.”  She pouted.

“At least there wasn’t a clear shot of your face.”  Gen slapped her hand over her mouth.  “Oh, god, I just realized how bad that sounds--dicks and face shots.  Ugh.”  All four women cackled.

“I still can’t believe you guys came--I mean, travelled all this way for me.”  All of them chuckled.

“You wormed your way into our husbands’ hearts.”  Danneel smiled.

“I truly believe Jared thinks you really are his little sister.”  

“See, Em--you can’t marry them now--they’re your sisters-in-law.”  Emily scowled at Jennifer even as the other two ladies grinned.  “Oh please, you push past the two gigantors at the door to come and blush and not breathe while staring at their wives.  Not hard to figure out you’ve got a girl-crush.”

“Better cut that out now, or you’ll make Dick jealous.”  Emily blushed.  “He’s pretty easy to read when it comes to how he feels about you.  Just the way he watched you earlier made it very obvious.”

“And, now, I guess, the question is, how do you feel about him?”  Danneel asked.  “You don’t have to answer, we’re just curious.”

“He--”  Emily began, drawing a calming breath.  “He makes me feel.  Does that make sense?”  She wasn’t making sense in her own head, how could she expect them to understand. “He makes me _want_ to feel...I didn’t--it’s been years since I’ve wanted to feel anything.  I used to wake up screaming, hoping to god I could find a way to shut my emotions off and just exist.  That was what I’d originally been looking for when I went to therapy the first time--a way to stop feeling because the only feeling I knew was down.  Soul-crushing down.  But,”  She looked up at the three ladies.  “I _want_ to feel things, because I know there’s more than that down for me now.”

“Makes perfect sense.”

“OK, if we’re gonna keep up the emotional crap, I’m gonna need some chocolate.”

“I’ll order something to be delivered?”  Gen asked.  “Oh, before I forget, Emily--I have something that belongs to you.”  She turned to dig through the diaper bag that was sitting on the floor near her feet.  A moment later, she yanked out a familiar blue TARDIS hat.

“I forgot he even had that.”  Emily smirked and reached out to take the hat from Gen’s outstretched hands.  “Did he wash the magic out?”

“You mean the Mark-fucking-Sheppard magic?”  Gen grinned.

“Oh my god, he told you about--”  Jennifer started laughing.  

“Unfortunately, when Tom came home from kinder with head lice, we had to throw all the hats out.  Except this one.  Jared had me wash it five times in scalding water.  Told me you’d kill him if he threw your hat out.  Of course, it wasn’t until then that he told me he actually stole it from you.”

“These men, I swear.”  Danneel shook her head.

 

“So Jensen tells me I may have some competition.”  Emily cocked an eyebrow as she followed Richard into his dressing room.  She took off her labcoat and threw it over the back of the couch--how doctors actually wore that without sweating their asses off, she’d never know.  “Something about you running off with his and Jared’s wives?”  He smirked as he turned to face her.  “Should I be jealous?”

“No.”  She blushed.  “Although, I’m not really sure why you’d--”

“Stop right there.”  He took her hands and held them to his chest.  “I realized something about myself today.  I’d like to say I was smart enough to figure it out on my own, but turns out, I needed some help from Matt and Rob.”  She started to speak but he shook his head.  “This may be where you bust out your safeword for the first time, but I’m really hoping it isn’t.  I love you.”

“Rich--”  She bit her lip.  “Fuck, Rich--could you have picked a more screwed up person to say that too?”

“I don’t--”

“I don’t know what that emotion is!”  She pulled her hands from his and used them to cover her face.  “I don’t think that word is something my brain can compute anymore.”  She dropped to sit on the couch.  “I need you to sit, and I need you to explain it to me.”

“What?”

“Explain to me exactly how you feel about me and then I can tell you if what I’m feeling matches that.”  He looked bewildered.  “I know--it’s a pretty fucking weird request, but just--help me out, please?”  Finally, he sat down next to her.

“OK.  Ok.”  He took a deep breath.  “What do you want to know?”

“That’s just it--I don’t know what I want to know.”  She stressed, running her hands through her hair.

“How about this?”  He took her hands in his once again.  He could see the frustration she was having with herself as if it had been written on her face.  “I know I love you because when I think about you, I think about making long-term plans.  Like, 30 years down the road plans.  And when I think about you, then I think about hearing your voice and seeing your face and it just--it’s like this warm feeling takes over.  And when I see you, all I can think about is how amazing you are.  You’ve always been amazing to me.  Even when you were standing in line to get my autograph, and you looked like you wanted to bolt, but you forced yourself to stick it out just to tell me how much one simple little hug from me meant to you--ask Rob.  I didn’t stop bringing that up for weeks.  It blew me away.”  He saw tears starting to fall from her eyes so he reached up with one hand and wiped them away with the pad of his thumb.  “I spent the last year driving everyone crazy with how many times I’d check my phone, just to make sure I didn’t miss a message from you.  Damn near got myself fired at the Paris con because I kept texting you while I was on stage.  Believe me, trying to work a crowd and think of something witty to text you at the same time is not my forte.”  She smiled even as more tears spilled down her cheeks.  “And even though all we’ve done is kiss a bit, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’d be OK with that being as far as we ever get because it will mean I get to kiss you.”  He gave her a half smile.  “That match up to anything you’re feeling?”

“I love you too.”

“Yeah?”  He grinned when she nodded.  “And I’ll tell you something else--seeing you today with Tom--God, your smile just lit up that whole room.  Jared told me I missed seeing how amazed you looked when you realized you were OK when he hugged you, but that smile--you looked like you’d just flown over the moon with how happy you were--I want to make sure you have a reason to be that happy everyday.”  He paused.  “And now, because I’m an insecure egomaniac, you know you’re going to have to tell me what you’re feeling, right?”  She smiled.

“When I think about you, it’s like...peaceful.”  He cocked an eyebrow and she laughed.  “I know that doesn’t seem like a lot to you, but it means everything to me.  I have spent so many years trying to drown out and bottle up a lot.  But it never went away--not completely.  But even with as off the wall as you can sometimes get--thinking about you, seeing you, being around you...you’re like the calm after the storm.  It doesn’t drown out the bad, it chases the bad away--and now I sound like one of those videos we show to the little ones about ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch.’”  She shook her head and he laughed.  “But seriously, you--”  She paused, trying to find the words.  “Last year, in that bar, something you said to me--you didn’t want to leave me alone because I’d think too much.  And whether you knew it then or not, that’s what I’ve done for most of my life--think too much.  I get lost in my own head--in my own thoughts.  But you,”  She smiled shyly. “As cheesy as it sounds, Rich, you found me.  You helped me find myself.”

“Always will.”  She leaned forward and kissed him.  

He let her take the lead, sliding her tongue out to taste his lips and he slid his own out to meet hers.  She let go of his hands and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck.  He moved his own hands slowly, coming to rest with one tangled in her hair and the other against the small of her back.

She surprised him when she leaned forward further, causing him to lean back against the couch.  Without warning, he found himself with a lapful of Emily when she straddled his legs with her own, a knee coming to rest against the the back of the couch on either side of him.  Her fingers moved up and tangled in his hair.  His eyes crossed when her nails scratched his scalp lightly.

Trying not to overthink, the hand on her back fisted the scrub top until finally, his fingers met flesh.  God, she was so warm to the touch.  He gently tugged on her hair even as she continued her torturously slow exploration of his mouth with her tongue.  She arched up into his touch as he stroked along her spine.  He took the hint and added more pressure, groaning when she returned the favor and pressed her pelvis down on his.  Still, even with his brain sufficiently fried, he kept himself in check, following her body’s direction.

“Con-convention.”  Emily breathed softly when his hand began an upward trek towards her bra.  “Sorry--I just--shit.”

“No, love.  Not sorry.  Don’t ever feel sorry for making sure you take care of yourself.”  Of course, he’d have to take care of himself, now, but that wasn’t important right at this moment.  “I don’t ever want you to feel afraid to stop if you need to.”  He smiled up at her.  “You are gonna want to let me up though, or I’m going to reenact my days as a 12-year-old and come in my jeans.”

“Oh, shit--”  She slid off of him, a look of terror on her face.

“Do **not** apologize.  I’m a grown ass man and I can take care of myself.”  How did he get her to realize this?  “I need you to understand something--those guys--I don’t know what the fuck happened to their brains to make them do what they did.  They had no right to.  No one has the right to.  I don’t care if we’re both naked and you’ve got me harder than granite, if you need to stop, we stop.  Got it?”

“Got it.”  The terror was replaced with understanding, followed by a twitch of her lips.

“You’re seriously going to sit there and picture me with a giant boulder between my legs?”  She covered her mouth with her hands to muffle her laughter.  “You have one overactive imagination, lady.”  He teased as pushed himself up off the couch and towards the bathroom.

 

“Hey, Em?”

“Yeah?”  Emily looked over at her sister who was still sporting her scrubs, where Emily had already changed into her pajamas.  “This about Osric?”

“How’d you know?”  Jennifer questioned, fiddling with the stethoscope dangling around her neck.

“Because I saw you two flirting with each other when he came off stage dressed like Han Solo.”  Emily bit her lip.  She couldn’t let her own hangups keep her sister from living her life.  “I’ll keep my phone on if you need me.”

“Are you gonna be OK here by yourself?”

“Are you coming back here tonight?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.”

“Whatever you do, don’t come back with a Wookie, k?”

“Love you.”  Jennifer hugged Emily.  “You want me to see if Kim or Gen or Danneel can keep you company?”

“Actually...”

 

“You are the cutest woman I have ever seen.”  Richard held the door open for Emily as she entered his suit.  “Seriously?  Penguin pajamas?”

“Well, they’re comfortable.  And I--I haven’t really had a reason to buy anything actually made for showing off anything.”

“I was sold at comfort.  These are my pjs.  Not much to look at.”  He gestured down at his Star Wars pants and Pepsi MAX shirt.  He led her over to the sitting area.  “So, Jen and Osric.”

“I know.”  She grinned.  “It’s both weird and adorable.”

“Why is it weird?”  She snuggled against him and he smiled.

“I guess I just didn’t realize how--independent of me she is.  I’ve spent so much time trying to protect her from what I went through, when in reality, she’s been letting me do it so that I wouldn’t feel like a complete waste of space.”

“Are you worried about her?”  He knew, if he got into a debate with her about her worth, tears would be shed, so he wisely avoided taking on that topic.  “Because Osric--”

“No.  I don’t need you to vouch for him.”  She leaned back to look at him.  “I have to trust my sister’s judgement.  Now, granted, if anything should happen, I will kill him, you know this, right?”

“I know.” He sighed.  “Do you know where he’s taking her?”

“Not a clue.”  He could tell that was eating at her, so he took her hand in his and kissed it.  “I just--she’s not my daughter, she’s my sister, and I have to realize she’s a grown up and she can make her own decisions.”

“I don’t think it matters how you’re related.  You’re always going to worry about her--and that’s natural.  You just--you can’t let your worry be all that you dwell on.”

“You’re a smart man.”  She smiled just before breaking into a yawn.  He tugged on her hand and she snuggled against him once more.

“Well, I fell for you, beautiful--so I must be a fucking genius.”  

*****End Saturday*****

“I can’t believe you’re up this early.”

“You mean, still up.”  Jennifer corrected, stealing a piece of bacon from Emily’s plate.  “Never made it back to the room.”

“OK, you know you can’t leave it there.”  Emily swatted her hand, but simply shook her head when Jennifer ate the bacon anyway.

“We just hung out.  Talked.  After the movie, we went to Denny’s.  I think the wait staff wanted to kick us out, but didn’t when they realized who Osric was.  Felt a little weird, being seen with a celebrity.”

“And the costumes didn’t weird you out at all?”  Emily teased, making note that even though she’d ditched the labcoat, her sister was still in scrubs.

“Are you kidding?  Before the movie, we hit up Party City and totally had a lightsaber fight in the middle of the store.”

“Oh my god, I think you may have found your geek-soul mate, Jen.”

“I don’t know about that,” Jennifer blushed. “But how did spending the night with Dick go?”

“We just slept.” Emily stabbed at her eggs with her fork.

“I’m not judging.”  Jennifer held up her hands in surrender.  “But you stayed with him all night?”

“Yeah.  We just--hung out too.  Fell asleep curled up together on his bed.”

“Awe, Em, you were the little spoon!”  Jennifer squealed and clapped her hands.

“Shuddup.”  Emily groused.

“Does he have a black eye, or has he gotten past your waking defense mode?”

“If waking me up by singing to me from across the room is getting past my defense mode, then yes, that is what he did.”

“What?”

“It was the damndest thing.  He said he tried it on a whim, pulled out an acoustic guitar and everything.  I had no idea he could even play, let alone sing.  But it worked.  He was about halfway through ‘Good Morning Starshine’ when I woke up.”

“Wait--’Good Morning--’ like, ‘Hair’ with all the nibby nooby’s and everything?”

“You do not get to tease him about that.”  She pointed her fork at her sister and glared as menacingly as she could before they both started laughing.  “Actually, it was more like the Oliver-version.”

“I don’t think there’s a huge difference, Em.”

“Whatever.  It was still a very pleasant way to wake up.”  She sighed.

“Well, I’m glad for you.  I know I came here with reservations about your relationship with him, but, the man has exceeded my expectations.”

“He showed me the books you suggested for him.”

“Seriously?”  Emily nodded.  “Well I’ll be damned.”

 

“You seem to be in an awfully chipper mood this morning.”  Misha grumbled sleepily when he saw how fresh-faced Richard appeared.  “Must be nice, not staying up half the night with the whole Cabaret thing.”

“Hey, you volunteered for that.  Not my fault you’re getting old.”

“Dude, you’re older than I am.”

“Ah, but who looks like they just crawled out of a crypt?”

“Must be that younger woman-vibe.”  Richard rolled his eyes.  “Hey, I’m not saying it like I think you’re going through a midlife crisis or something.  I know you better than that.  I think it’s a good thing.”

“It is.”  Misha grinned at how obstinate Richard sounded.  “Christ, I can’t fucking talk to you sometimes.”  Richard threw up his hands.

“What have you done now?”  Rob asked, entering the room.

“All I did was say that he looks happy.”

“I _am_ happy.”  Richard glared at him and Rob laughed.  “You guys suck.  I’m happy.  I love her and she loves me and I’m fucking happy, OK?”

“Adorable.”  Rob teased.

“Ah, so you’ve seen my outfit already, then.”  Jennifer poked her head into the room, the blonde hair from her wig falling in her eyes.  She came all the way in to reveal that she was dressed as Paris Hilton.

“And you’re supposed to be...?”

“Leshii.  You know--this is the last form she takes in Fallen Idols.”  Blank stares.  “Season five?  The one where Gandhi tries to strangle Sam?”  Finally, it seemed to sink in.  “You guys suck!”

“And Em is dressed as Abraham Lincoln?”  Rob asked, curious, as the elder of the two sisters hadn’t entered the room.

“She’s Veritas.”

“Veritas wasn’t in that episode.  She was--wasn’t she in the next season?”  Misha asked.

“Yeah.  With Soulless Sam.  We’re both pagans today.”  She grinned.  “I tried to convince Em to come as Kali, but she didn’t feel right playing an Indian goddess when she’s not actually Indian.”  Richard felt his lips twist.  “Don’t worry--she looks hot as Veritas.  Oh my god--it’s gotta be the blonde wig--fuck, I better not actually start talking like Paris.”

“I’m sure Osric will still drool whether you sound like her or not.”  Misha smirked.

“Shut up Dmitri.”

“Oh, busting out the full name.” Rob laughed.

“Where is Emily?”  Richard asked, concerned that she still hadn’t shown up.

“Oh for fuck’s sake--I bet she’s still in the bathroom, probably freaking out about how much skin she’s showing.”  Jennifer thought Emily would only have been a few moments behind her.  Apparently that wasn’t the case.  “Give me a minute.”

“Em?”

“I’m not coming out.”

“You seriously want to stay locked in a bathroom stall all day?”

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.”  Finally, the stall unlocked and Emily stepped out, holding the end of her dress up off the floor.  “I feel ridiculous.”

“Well, you look hot.”  Jennifer cringed even before the words finished leaving her mouth.

“Thanks, Paris.”  Emily scoffed.  “I just--this is a lot of skin.”  She gestured to the neckline.  “I feel like someone’s going to mistake me for some high-class call girl.”

“Well then you can have Dick wake you up with Roy Orbison.”  Jennifer glanced around, sighing in relief when she realized the restroom was empty, save them.  “You are gonna knock his socks off.”

“Ugh.  I feel like everyone’s going to stare at me.  Why the hell did I let you pick out my costumes?!?!”

“Because you love me and because you know I have good taste and because if I’d let you pick them out, you’d be burning up in layers and just call yourself Dean for the entire con.”

“Fine.”

“Damn, ladies.” Felicia whistled when she saw the sisters enter the room.  She’d come in to get some food and had gotten sidetracked into a conversation with Misha, Rob, and Richard.  “I’m starting to think that I’m not just playing a lesbian on TV.”

“Um, thanks, I guess.”

“You know, if Gen and Danneel were still here, you could totally get them to run off with you.”  Misha laughed at Emily’s horrified expression.

“Seriously, does everyone know about that?”

“Well, it was part of Jared’s story about how his son changed your life.  Although, when Gen found out he was telling everyone, she promptly whacked him across the back of his head.”  Rob chuckled.  “She made him lean down so she could do it.”

“And what are your thoughts, Dick?”  Jennifer asked, noticing he hadn’t spoken since they’d gotten there.

“Very nice.”  He grinned when Emily blushed.  “Looks like Gabriel hooked up with the wrong goddess.”

“Ok, now you’re just being cheesy.”  She glared at him.  Still, he smiled.  “Don’t you have something to do, something other than stand there and ogle me?”  She folded her arms across her chest before she dropped them back to her side when she realized that the action caused her breasts to stand out even more.  “Christ, I’m going to my seat.”  She grabbed the hem of her dress and turned towards the door.  “I’m taking your jacket.”  She grabbed the sports coat he’d thrown over the back of a chair and draped it over her shoulders and stomped out of the room.

“Fuck, she’s adorable.”  Richard said, still smiling.

“And she’s healing--so, as her sister, it’s my duty to tell you that if you break her heart, I will castrate you with a rusty spoon.  We clear?”

“And as his castmates and friends, we’re obliged to tell you that if she breaks his heart...we’re going to come beg her to have mercy on him because no one will want to deal with the sorry lump of oatmeal he will become.”  Rob filled in for him.

“Agreed.”  Jennifer shook Rob’s hand.

 

“Welcome back to the last day of Vegas ‘16.”  Richard announced.  He looked over to where he knew Emily was sitting and grinned when he saw her--she’d put his jacket on completely and buttoned up the front.  It looked to be at least three sizes too big for her.  “We’ve had an amazing time being here with you all.  Seriously--Vegas is now officially my favorite con site ever.”  The crowd cheered.  Richard reached for his ear.  “And I want to let you all in on a little secret.  Now, it’s got to stay between all of us, because I know none of you are recording this or anything.  But, there’s a reason this place is my favorite.  I learned something here.”

“Oh, fuck.”  Emily groaned softly so that only her sister could hear.

“I learned, thanks to one Thomas Padalecki, that hugs really do make the world go ‘round.  But please, for the love of all things good and holy, no one needs to let his father know I ever said that.  I’ll never live it down.”  Richard shuddered.  “Like I really need Mr. Perfect to find out he was right.”  The crowd laughed.  “Christ, I feel naked without my coat.”

“Here, you can have mine.”  Rob moved to hand him his polyester jacket.

“Yes, just what I want, to smell like mothballs and 1978.  No thanks.”

“Really, Dick--I thought you loved my musk.”

“I freaking love that man.”  Emily said to no one.  Jennifer looked over, startled.  “Well,” Emily noticed her sister staring.  “I do.”

“And?” Jennifer nodded towards the stage.

“Same.”

“About fucking time.”

 

“Are we really going to stand in line for photo ops?”

“Come on--we missed out last year.  I want to feel authentic.”  Emily sighed as she followed Jennifer to the line for pictures.

“Why do we have to start with him?” She asked when she realized it was Richard standing on the other side of the camera.  

“Because I want to see his reaction.” Jennifer pulled out her cell phone.

“You know we aren’t supposed to have those out right now.”  Emily snatched the phone and shoved it in the coat pocket.

“You suck.”  

They moved with the line, trying to stay as hidden from Richard’s line of sight as possible.  Thankfully, for their mission, he seemed very focused on getting through the photo ops rather than who was waiting for them.  Finally, they were up next.

“Hey there, beautiful.”  Richard smiled, trying to mask his surprise at seeing Emily come to stand next to him for a photo.  Jennifer grinned and waved to him from her position at the front of the line.  “How’s the con been for you?”

“Magical.”

“Even more magical than Mark-fucking-Sheppard?”

“Who?” She smiled cheekily and he grinned.  “I don’t suppose I could get a kiss...you know, on the cheek or something.”

“I’ll do you one better.”  He wiggled his eyebrows before planting his lips on hers and bending her back into a dip.  Instinctively, her arms grabbed on to his shoulders, trying to keep herself from falling to the floor.  The camera flashed as catcalls and whistles echoed in the small room.  “Nice jacket.”  He said, bringing her back upright.

“I fucking hate you.”  She blushed and tried to fight a smile.  He just grinned.

“Move along, it’s my turn.”  Jennifer handed her ticket to the waiting volunteer.  She approached Richard and shooed Emily off.  “Kiss me like that, and I’ll cut you.”

“Will a hug work better for you?”

“I suppose,” she groused playfully.

“You know I love your sister, right?” He whispered as the camera flashed again.

“Yeah, I know.  And she loves you back, you big lug.”  Jennifer straightened up.  “Do you suppose I could get Osric to kiss me like that?”

“Wouldn’t hurt to try.”  He grinned as she stepped out of the frame and the next fan entered it.

“I have never seen two people blush harder than you and Osric.”  Emily laughed as she tugged her tennis shoes on, looking at the photo of her sister and Osric, both red-faced and grinning at each other.  “I thought you were gonna kiss him.”

“Fuck off.”  Jennifer grumbled.  “I didn’t know how to ask him.  And besides, I didn’t want to steal your thunder.  Man--all anyone can talk about down there is that kiss.”  She looked through her phone to find she already had three messages asking about it.

“Christ, finally.”  Emily felt better after changing back into jeans and a t-shirt.  “That stupid dress was starting to cut off the circulation.”

“Well, we all know where Dick’s circulation went when he saw you in it.”

“Shut your mouth.”  Emily blushed.  “Fuck, I can’t believe he kissed me like that in front of so many people.”

“It really was the perfect place, though.  I mean, no one was allowed to have cell phones or cameras in there, so he got to let everyone know he’s seeing you without letting everyone know he’s seeing _you_.  You know?”

“Yeah--but,” her phone buzzed and she snatched it up.  

“What did he say?”  Jennifer asked as she began to change.

“Misha--he wants to know where his kiss is.”

“I’ll give him something he can kiss.”

“Jennifer says you can kiss her ass.”  Emily read as she typed.

“No, that’s not--”

“Sent.”

“Fucker.”

“This is what you get for sending out pictures of me in the hospital.”  She laughed when she got a one word response.  “He says ‘kinky’.”

“I really love this place.”  Jennifer sighed, tossing the blonde wig onto the bed.  “These people--I can’t believe we drove all this way to gawk at them last year only to feel like they’ve accepted us as part of their family.”  She looked at the torn look on Emily’s face.  “I know things started out rough, but really--and I’m about to quote a Disney movie--the flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.”  She smiled at her sister.  “I know I gave Dick grief, but Em,--seeing you smile with Tom--I’ve never seen you more beautiful.”  She wiped away her sister’s tears with the back of her hand.  “These people have brought out the best in you.  I can’t thank them enough for that.  I just hope they keep in contact even when the show is over.”

“You know, Star Trek is over and they still have cons.  Who’s to say they won’t continue having Supernatural cons when everyone is old and gray.”

“You all will be old and gray.  Osric and I will be in the prime of our lives.”  Jennifer corrected with a smirk.  Emily rolled her eyes.

“Whatever, you fucking infant.”

 

“I wanna talk to you about something.”  Emily nodded and looked up at him.  “Tomorrow.”

“Tomo--oh.  Oh.”  Going home plans.  Her mind hadn’t gotten that far.  “Um...OK?”  She turned herself around in his arms so she could look at him.

“How comfortable would you be, travelling back with me?”

“Rich--Jen and I drive here.  There’s no way I’m letting her make that drive on her own.”

“I know.  That’s why I talked to her already.  If you’re OK with it, I’ve booked a flight home for her and you and I will drive back.”  He smiled sheepishly.  “I’d originally planned on hiding myself in your suitcase, but I wasn’t sure there’d be room--what with all the photo-ops you and Jen hit up.”

“Seriously?”  Her face lit up.  “You wanna go home with me?”  He nodded.  “Oh my god, I love you.”  She kissed him.  “Wait--”  She pulled back.  “That means Jen will be going home on her own.”  Yes, her sister was an adult, but Emily would end up spending the entire trip home worrying about her if she was on her own.  “I don’t--”

“She won’t be alone.”  He wiggled his eyebrows.  “See, there are two tickets for the plane ride.  I got another for--”

“I hope you are decent in there because I am coming in!”  Jennifer shouted just before she burst into the room.  “Em, do you want to know what the fuck your boyfriend did--oh my god, I could kill you!”  She shrieked at Richard.  “What the hell--I don’t--fuck--UGH!!!”

“Like I was saying,” Richard continued as if Jennifer wasn’t standing three feet away, fuming.  “I got another ticket for Osric.”  Emily grinned.

“I’m going to fucking strangle you, Dick.”  Jennifer threw up her hands in exasperation.  “I can make my own moves, thank you very much.  I don’t need you planning out my romance for me.”  

“Now she won’t be going home alone.”  Richard concluded, smirking up at Jennifer.  “And by the way, I’m not planning your romance.  Osric asked how you were getting home.  He said he didn’t like the idea of you going home alone, so I just added an extra ticket to my order.”  Jennifer’s mouth dropped open.

“Sounds like Osric’s the one planning your romance, little sister.”

“I hate you both.”  Jennifer stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

“You are too good to me.”  Emily turned back to Richard, kissing him softly.

“And the only comeback I can think of is a cheesy ‘nothing’s too good for you’--but it’s true.”  She smiled.  “I just--I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

*****End Sunday*****

 

**Author's Note:**

> I surprised myself--I could have come up with so many more dick jokes--lol.
> 
> But seriously--this one didn't have quite as many tearful moments for me as I wrote it--I'm a huge proponent of therapy and counseling and seeking help when you need it, and since my character is finally learning to cope, I'm thinking that's why it's not quite as up and down for me as the first one was.
> 
> I'm hoping that V has the same success with her therapy. Love you, lady.


End file.
